The Red Line Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project on University Road has made daily commutes for Karachiites even more difficult.
Why it matters:
The port city already struggles with heavy traffic during rush hours. University Road also has two water hydrants, which tankers rely on to meet water needs of a number of institutions. The traffic influx brought on by educational institutions, long lines of water tankers, and the traffic congestion in general are proving to be miserable for people.
The traffic situation:
Additionally, the building of stations, underpasses, and flyovers along the project route forced installation of barricades at every turn that leads to the site. This resulted in an extremely narrow road. The traffic, between Mosmiat bus station and old vegetable market, either flows slowly or doesn’t at all. The project director for BRTS, Pir Sajjad, agreed that the traffic is congested at purani sabzi mandi, the road from Jamia Masjid to Urdu University, and Civic Center.
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What are the alternate plans:
Sajjad said that efforts were being made to plan alternate route with assistance of traffic police. The removal of encroachments and parking spots has been discussed with the Municipal Corporation of Karachi. As they want to prevent the service road from being perpetually congested, Sajjad wished to widen the main road.
Dr. Syed Nawaz ul Huda, a regional planner headquartered in the city, thinks planners should restrict access to fire hydrants along the University Road throughout the project’s building period. He believes this will help traffic congestion. The project is expected to complete in Aug 2024.
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