Frequent traffic jams mar citizen’s health in Larkana

LARKANA: Frequent traffic jams, which has been tormenting citizens of Larkana sing long time, has not yet been resolved despite appeals to the authorities time and again.

The increase in traffic problems due to mismanagement and negligence of relevant authorities has badly affected health of citizen besides polluting environment. Unavailability of parking areas in the city has added to the miseries of the residents and the motorists. The worst affected are the students, government and non-government servants who have to reach to their destinations on time to study and earn livelihood, respectively. The population of this city is approximately one million and about 34000 bike rickshaws, 13000 rickshaws and 5,54,000 motorcycles are operating in the entire district. According to traffic police, 12 road accidents have occurred during 2020 in which 14 people have lost their precious lives and 17 injured.

In Larkana division, there are over 79,000 bike rickshaws, 16,510 rickshaws, 903,000 bikes. Sources said that 61 people had been killed in 56 road accidents by these vehicles along with 45 injured during 2020. The figure of donkey-carts have reduced to over 500 which was in thousands previously after arrival of bike loaders.

Unlawful encroachments were removed from various roads including Empire Road, Municipal Corporation Road, Bank Square Road, Old Bus Stop Road, Nishtar Road, Gajanpur Road, Old and New Sabzi Mandi Roads, Murad Wahan Road, Jail Road, Ladies Jail Road and other areas but issue of smooth flow of traffic is yet to be resolved. Encroachment on Tanga Stand was removed which has once again been occupied but administration is mum. Encroachments were also removed from Jelus Bazaar, Jinnah Bagh Chowk, Pakistani Chowk, Royal Chowk, Bank Square, Resham Gali Chowk (roundabout) but the habitual land grabbers have once again appeared and occupied same government lands which indeed has narrowed the roads due to which smooth flow of traffic is severely affected. Bus stops have been established along Rice Canal while private ambulance service drivers have also created nuisance for the motorists. Even parks near Lahori Regulator of Rice Canal have not been spared by these land grabbers who are doing roaring business but the denizens are the worst sufferers.

Chingchi drivers have also entirely failed to comply with the instructions of the apex court for which they were allowed to ply as no bike rickshaw has still been registered with the Excise and Taxation Department due fitness certificate issue, causing billions of rupees annual loss to the government treasury.

Most of the bike rickshaw drivers are children who are unaware of traffic laws but they keep on running their vehicles on congested roads which cause frequent accidents as they are also involved in filling pockets of traffic cops. Traffic police have been posted but they have failed to control the illiterate drivers who mostly drive in zigzag manner and apply brakes where ever they want without taking care of others.

Pushcart vendors have also extremely complicated the situation who are found in every nook and corner of the city and the entire district. Even footpaths have been occupied. Worst affected are the women folk who cannot walk freely and comfortably.

Another factor which has ruined the environment and traffic system is the plying of over 350 tractor trolleys whole day on commercial basis without any check so far. They start their business early morning by digging sand from Rice Canal and sale it in the city but the Irrigation Department has taken no notice of this unauthorized lifting of sand from its canal. They have not only destroyed roads but roads are also filled with sand falling from these overloaded trolleys. Fallen sand keep on flying in the air highly polluting the entire atmosphere. This menace has also created health issues with increased number of patients suffering from eye, ear, nose, throat, asthma, chest ailments and so forth and their drivers are involved in rash driving.

Traffic Sergeant, Abdul Waheed Abro, told newsmen on Tuesday that they had suggested that parking zones be established across the city and pushcart vendors must be allowed on specific points. He said even vacated Tanga Stand had been again encroached by the land grabbers which should be utilized for parking purposes. Abro further said that traffic cops were very limited but even then they were discharging their duties without required facilities which too was another factor of their failure to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Tariq Nazir Shaikh, President, Federation of Trade Association, consisting of 28 trade bodies, said that they had submitted their suggestions to the police to improve traffic system in the city but they were yet to be implemented. He claimed that if any shopkeeper is not keeping his material in front of his shop then pushcart vendors occupy that place and nobody can remove him. Action against pushcars is mandatory in this regard.