Karachi: Violations of parking rules have been continued on the Main University Road in front of eateries shops between Hassan Square and NIPA flyover, as the traffic police have stopped taking action against parking violators.
The whole track of the University Road from the Hassan Square to the NIPA flyover has been declared no parking zone by the government, but corrupt officers of traffic police, DMC East and regular police are covertly patronizing illegal parking on the main road to facilitate the owners of these eateries.
The traffic police had erected No Parking signboards on this section of this very busy road but the agents of eateries and other shops defaced these signboards and made these Parking signs. Some traffic police sergeants are seen posted in this area but they do not take action against the motorists for violation of No-Parking rules. They are not issued fine tickets and their vehicles are not towed-away or punctured.
Sources said that some highly influential persons are patronizing the interests of the owners of these eateries. They said even many of these eateries are involved in illegal occupation of footpaths and service road, but the government officials overlook these violations. They said that when citizens complain a lot and media begins outcry, some eyewash operations are carried out here but the next day the traffic violations are began afresh. They said the situation could improve if the owners of eateries are booked for their violations and encroachments, and the vehicles of parking violators are immediately towed away and heavily fined.
Commuters said they faced hardships due to traffic congestion between Hassan Square and NIPA flyover of the University Road during evening rush hours because of the illegal parking of dinners. They said the reconstruction of the University Road has failed to serve the purpose as traffic remains as chocked as before the reconstruction of this road mainly due to wrong parking. They said that either railings be erected on the sides of main road and footpaths or Jersey barriers should be kept there to discourage the wrong trend of parking violations. They said the higher officers should easily monitor the live situation of illegal parking and traffic congestion in this area through surveillance cameras if they are really serious to improve the situation.