Residents wade through traffic gridlock

Though population generally tends to move towards port cities all over the world, in Karachi it has leaped to new highs resulting in a vehicular traffic jungle. The problems faced by the city are, however, unique in the sense that they stem from extremely bad town planning.
Zoning laws are regularly broken, building and traffic rules are seldom followed, road encroachment is considered a right and construction of planned parking spaces is virtually unknown. If relevant authorities do not take necessary measures soon, the city will end up with urban disasters of the greatest magnitude.
One of the major issues that have worsened the traffic situation in Karachi is the location of the port, the industrial estates and residential areas. The port is so positioned that all the country's imports and exports, whether from Karachi or up-country, pass unrestricted and at will through the city, creating a chaotic and constant commercial and private traffic maze. The city's founders could have never imagined the escalating growth of Karachi and as such they never planned for the mess that prevails in the city today. Most major roads and highways of Karachi are clogged with traffic congestion on any given day. The most relevant example is the route leading from Jinnah International Airport all the way to Port Qasim, through which thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles pass daily.
According to a survey, an estimated 150,000 people work in an area that houses Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim Authority, Fauji Fertiliser Bin Qasim, KESC Bin Qasim, Toyota - Indus Motors, Pak Suzuki, Ghandara Nissan, Lotte, Abbott, Gul Ahmed, dozens of medium-sized and hundreds of small industries. The government is also constructing a Textile City in the vicinity of Port Qasim. Thousands of people commute daily to and from Karachi through the National Highway, the only road leading to the afore-mentioned industries. This road is not only damaged but also cramped and people are stuck in traffic jams for hours every day. A simple flat tire or tripling of a loaded truck causes a major gridlock and results in endless delays and panic due to safety issues. These regular traffic jams are also a major source of health and environmental hazards. The area is also a happy hunting ground for criminals as the slow moving traffic provides an easy opportunity to denude the people.
The air and noise pollution level around busy roads in Karachi is alarmingly high due to negligence of the relevant agencies. Surveys and zoning studies lead to the conclusion that central business areas and other traffic congestion points in Karachi are faced with extreme hazards due to noise pollution. There are a number of reasons for the emission of noise from traffic in Karachi, the main being increase in the number of vehicles, traffic jams, defective roads, malfunctioning vehicles and, above all, the human factor which in our society is reflected by inherent impatience under social pressures, giving rise to such acts as blowing of horns unnecessarily.
Despite numerous assurances by Government of Pakistan, there seem to be no concrete plans on the horizon supported by proper execution and fixed deadline. Meanwhile, as the authorities take their sweet time pondering on all these long-term plans and open-ended promises, the dangerous air and noise pollution situation in Karachi worsens and the poor citizens of city bear the brunt.
A complete overhauling of the entire road and traffic system of Karachi has long been overdue. It is high time that local authorities take action against the chaotic traffic system, lawlessness and smoke-emitting vehicles in order to bring down the noise and carbon monoxide levels on our roads and to curb road crimes to ensure safety of citizens. The people of Karachi must be empowered to be able to commute through the city's roads and highways in a safe, clean and stress-free environment.