The congested roads and outdated railway system of Karachi, which is Pakistan’s economic hub, are crippling the country’s trade and economic potential, emphasized Pasban Democratic Party Chairman Altaf Shakoor in a statement today, stressing the urgent need for dedicated freight corridors to enhance the efficiency of goods transportation from Karachi’s ports to various regions of the country.
Thousands of containers are dispatched daily from Karachi Port and Port Qasim, but due to the absence of separate freight transportation routes, these heavy vehicles are forced onto shared roads with passenger traffic. This results in severe traffic jams, delivery delays, road damage, accidents, and rising logistics costs, severely impacting the national economy.
During the Pasban executives meeting, Shakoor emphasized that the national priority should be the establishment of road and rail-based dedicated freight corridors. These corridors should connect Karachi Port and Port Qasim to industrial hubs, special economic zones, dry ports, logistics parks, national highways, and the railway network under a comprehensive and long-term plan.
He welcomed the ongoing construction of a dedicated railway freight corridor from Karachi Port to Pipri Marshalling Yard. Shakoor termed this project as a significant step towards modernizing Pakistan’s freight transportation system. He urged the government to expedite the completion of the project and develop it across the national network to extend it to other key industrial and commercial centers.
Furthermore, Shakoor demanded the federal government immediately prepare a national master plan for dedicated freight corridors. This plan should seamlessly integrate with ports, industrial areas, special economic zones, dry ports, motorways, and the national railway network. He believes this initiative will play a crucial role in meeting Pakistan’s future trade needs, boosting investment, creating job opportunities, and establishing the country as a major trade and logistics hub in the region.
Additionally, Shakoor recommended that the government address the technical flaws of the Lyari Expressway. He suggested redesigning it to facilitate its effective use as a shared corridor for both light and heavy traffic, further enhancing Karachi’s transportation infrastructure.