New Year's Eve: Pillion riding, aerial firing to be banned for 12 hours in Karachi

KARACHI: A 12-hour ban will be imposed on pillion riding, fireworks and aerial firing in Karachi on account of New Year’s Eve, Express News reported on Tuesday.

The ban will be in place from sunset today to sunrise tomorrow, January 1.

Women, people with disabilities, journalists and children under the age of 12 are exempt from the ban. The ban also bars the removal of silencers from motorcycles and carrying of weapons.

The Sindh traffic police have announced they on New Year's Eve in the city they will take action against motorcycles without silencer or broken silencers.

“We will detain those who create noise and nuisance with their vehicles either through dangerous driving or because of broken mufflers,” said Inspector Saeed Ahmed, the security in-charge of the traffic police.

Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sindh traffic police has directed them to take strict action against the violators.

“Those who create problems will be handed over to the local police and their vehicles will be detained,” he added.

Police had earlier finalised its security plan for New Year’s Eve in Karachi and had asked the provincial government to ban pillion riding in the province.

The traffic police will deploy an extra 270 personnel in the city to manage traffic and will be on duty from 6pm to 2am. According to Ahmed, traffic pressure will be high at 11pm and will slow down at 2am.

“We have deployed an extra two superintendents and five deputy superintendents of the traffic police to control the traffic,” said Ahmed.



The roads will be scanned by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) while surveillance cameras have been installed at Sea View.

SP Clifton, M. Nadeem said that 1500 personnel have been deployed at Sea View. He added that 12 reporting police centers will be operational throughout the south zone, especially Sea View and adjacent areas. Pickets have been set up and snap checking will also be put into effect at every street.

To tackle the ever present threat of terrorism, Nadeem had said, appropriate steps have been taken to avoid any untoward incident.

In addition, Mai Kolachi road will remain closed for traffic and vehicles will be diverted to PIDC from where they will enter Jinnah Bridge (Native Jetty Bridge). One-way traffic coming from Sea View will enter Khayaban-e-Ittehad and then pass through Korangi Road and Kala Pull. Traffic from Shara-e-Faisal will move to Clifton Bridge and, passing Teen Talwar and Do Talwar, it can move towards Sea View. The traffic diversions will start around 9pm and will continue till 2am