SHC seeks compliance reports, tells mayor to assist authorities

Plea against heavy traffic, encroachments

While hearing a petition filed by Faisal Bengali and others on the city’s traffic situation, particularly the daytime movement of heavy vehicles and removal of encroachments hindering vehicular flow, the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued a notice to Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar to assist the court in resolving the matter of public importance and directed other authorities to submit compliance reports.

The provincial law officer and a representative of the chief secretary sought 15 days to publish a notice in compliance with a previous court order against banned pressure horns, unauthorised number plates and revolving bar lights. They submitted that encroachments could not be removed without the cooperation of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and cantonment boards.

Justice Nadeem Akhtar, head of SHC’s division bench, directed the KMC and cantonment boards to submit a report on the removal of encroachments from all of the city’s roads and sidewalks.

The transport secretary and DIG traffic submitted a compliance report which included a proposal for amending the law to regulate the number of passenger buses on a particular route within a specified time. The report also proposed criteria for the issuance of route permits.

The transport secretary sought time to finalise a policy and the proposed amendments in light of the SHC’s order. The provincial law officer sought time to submit a comprehensive report on the court’s earlier directive to install barriers at all entry points of the city’s five districts in order to restrict the entry of heavy vehicles in the city’s residential areas.

According to the interim report submitted by transport authorities, there are 446 classified routes in Karachi. Only 165 are operational on which 6,176 public vehicles are operating (which includes buses, mini-buses and coaches), whereas the remaining 269 routes are non-operational.

The petitioner’s counsel, Abdul Rehman, submitted that the court’s order preventing the movement of heavy vehicles in the city during the day was not being implemented as heavy vehicles were still plying the roads, particularly near Sunset Boulevard and South Circular Avenue in Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The DIG traffic stated that 8,000 challans were imposed against heavy traffic, 266 vehicles were detained, Rs3.8 million in fines were imposed and 38 cases were registered against heavy vehicles from March 31 to April 21.

He added that 41 traffic police personnel were sacked for gross misconduct and negligence, three DSPs were issued show-cause notices for misconduct, while action was taken against various traffic violations. The deputy commissioner for District West also submitted a compliance report on the removal of encroachments from SITE, Orangi Town, Baldia, Manghopir, Maripur and the harbour areas.

At an earlier hearing, the SHC directed the authorities concerned to establish proper checkpoints – at all four of the city’s entry points – with proper infrastructure and adequate police force, including bomb disposal squads, to ensure that heavy vehicles entering Karachi meet all legal requirements. 

The court observed that such measures would not only improve traffic management, but also the law and order situation by preventing smuggling of weapons and illegal persons into Karachi.