Karachi has a serious traffic problem. With only one artery which is the Shah Ra E Faisal running through out the city and non existant parking in the down town area of Karachi plus the parking mafia ruling the pavements has made driving anywhere and running even simple errands in the city a nightmare.

Although in the last few years many fly overs and amendments have been made to the road structure of the city one huge problem has been overlooked so far and that is parking.

Currently there is a move going on to make a huge 4 story parking plaza near bohri bazaar and another 3 story one at khadda market but this not going to be enough.

I suggest that the entire downtown area should be turned into a “no car zone” and only pedestrians walking should be allowed thus enabling office workers, businessmen and traders to go about their business in peace, rather then it taking 45 minutes to find parking and that too at the behest of the neighborhood sidewalk don who then has the leeway to throw your car whenever he wants, to be retrieved when you gingerly ask for it back, with fender benders and minor milage issues included.

Rickshaws come in handy when there is a ban on double sawari on bikes and when car burning is at peak, just
as it was yesterday across much of Karachi. I love Rickshaws. Do you?

Today while driving home I was practically bulldozed by these two vehicles rushing down Shahrai Faisal with absolute no regard for traffic or people crossing the roads. We here in Pakistan are quite accustomed to being shoved off the streets by these VVIP [or VVuIP very very Unimportant people] convoys. But what surprised me was that this Toyota surf was practically unmarked and the guard car trailing hot on its tail providing thug coverage to this menace on the street was also unmarked.

The lead car sported a large stencilized VII on its back, while the blue guard car trailing hot on its wheels had no markings at all. The guard car was a Toyota Hilux painted blue to mimic a usual police escort vehicles but apparently the car neither carried any policemen nor had any visible markings to be an official police car. The guards in the back carried some hefty weapons and were visibly furious at the surrounding traffic ‘for not providing them the right of passage’ [??], one of the guards was in a casual white shalwar kameez while the other sticking his gun out the side was in a plainclothes grey shalwar kameez uniform

Im sure it wont be too difficult to find out who actually operates this illegal convoy – without doubt it is the work of the powerful and mighty who ‘can get away with it’

Two days back in the morning I was driving on main Shahrah-e-Faisal headed to Sheraton Hotel when in the haste I ran through a red light at the Tipu Sultan intersection. A police sergeant almost instantly signaled me to stop and I got my first ticket.

After being charged for the offence that day I was being extra careful so today I stopped at a red light in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, A red light which no one seemed to have been noticing, after a few seconds an old policeman, (was not a traffic policeman), stepped out of his police mobile, approached me and asked if I needed directions, when I said no thanking him, he asked me why I was not moving which is when I told him the signal is still red. Much to my surprise he told me that its ok and I can go ahead.

I thanked him and moved on while the signal was still red.

Karimabad-Liquatabad Flyover where Community police busy in handling traffic jam due to a hole created by overweight truck.

We always complain and vain about Karachi’s transportation system and here I am doing that again. I was traveling in a public bus. We know their conditions but some are so bad (like the one in which I was commuting) that you never know if flooring would collapse and your feet might touch the ground. Then one rickshaw literally skipped the chance of accident with the bus and it’s side mirror only got affected or else it would have rock n’ roll-ed on the ground. Btw I love Rickshaws but I equally value safety. Motorbikes walon ke liye tou my lips are sealed.

Then most of us Karachites don’t have any civic sense and many of us don’t even know how to drive, forget the etiquette. Now during such incidents, I sometimes wonder why is it that we get silent after bomb blasts in Karachi. Why are there no reservations at channels to show dead bodies? May be we don’t value human life or maybe the apathy in us has deepen its roots.

Malir River bridge was inaugurated on 4th Feb,2009 by Governor Sindh. The 5km bridge is the longest in Pakistan. It links Korangi to Shah Faisal Colony via Malir River. Here are some pictures for the same. Well done CDGK. Around 43 houses were demolished on the site after payment of compensation to their owners. There was also a park proposed about which we don’t have any latest but if the project is still ON it would be really great.

[Credit : Urbanpk]
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Signs placed all over the city in support of pillion riding

The results of the last poll that we had on KMB in Januaray when the Double Sawari ban was extended – 61% of our readers said “The ban on double sawari has nothing to do with Law & Order” while 38% said “It was a good step” So in light of the economic crunch and wide number of job cuts across the city do you still support the ban on double sawari?

[poll=16]

Anyone planing to go out of city or to receive a relative or friend from the airport can forget about it.

The lawyers’ movement is once again making sure it does all in its power to agitate the commuters on the busiest road of the city.

Shahra-e-faisal is closed for public traffic beyond the Drigh Road station due to a demonstration by the lawyers. Traffic is being diverted on Rashid Minhas Road which is causing great inconvenience to the commuters. A friend called and said he had to navigate through Gulshan to get to his home across the airport.

How many of you know the actual price we buy petrol at and the price we pay in local market? Even though Karachiites are the most concerned in this case i bet only few know. Well then here is the true picture