Traffic Problems of Karachi and What is the Solution?

Karachi is the largest and the most populated city of Pakistan, which automatically means that the city suffers from terrible traffic problems. With cars stuck in chaotic traffic to unforgiving road rage, the traffic issues never seem to end for the Karachiites. That said, we will look into some of the major root causes of the traffic problems in the highest revenue-generating city of Pakistan and how we as individuals can solve these issues for good. Let’s get started!

Poor Public Transport

Apart from Careem, Bykea, and Uber, privatized buses and rickshaws are the only sources of commute for the common man in Karachi. Taxis are almost non-existent and the citizens don’t prefer a cab because of high fares.

The issue with public transport is that there is no regulation for the buses and rickshaws. Bus drivers do rash driving and disregard all traffic laws and road ethics. The bus conductors are known for pushing and shoving people off the bus, which is extremely painful for older people. Furthermore, the buses are extremely overcrowded and stacked with passengers.

On the other hand, rickshaws also cause trouble on the streets by neglecting the pedestrians and other drivers on the road. They would rather cause an accident than ensure the safety of others. To make matters worse, bus and rickshaw drivers often start racing with each other in busy traffic causing trouble for bike riders and other drivers.

With no solution in sight, the citizens of Karachi can only pray for a solution because the authorities don’t have much of a role in the city because of the dirty political system.

Domesticated Animals Roaming on the Streets

In the past, Pakistani citizens used to mock the Indians due to the presence of cows on the streets in every corner. But it has come back to haunt us because there is no shortage of domesticated animals on the roads. Cows, donkeys, and goats, you name it we have it.

Some cows don’t care about the incoming cars and prefer to crash into them than to stay on the sides. Some of them are also limping because of minor bumps with the oncoming vehicles. Although the issue sounds funny, this matter needs some serious attention because it is extremely dangerous for the animals and the drivers as well. Who wants to die by crashing into a cow right?

Donkeys are another most common animal on the streets, with the world moving towards digitization, we are still using donkey carts to supply goods in the markets. Not to mention that the animals are kept in terrible conditions, but are also abandoned at times. Due to this, the animal opts to roam on the streets and get into accidents.

The only solution for this problem is that people who own domesticated animals in the city should be penalized and donkey carts should be banned from the streets. But then again, there is no check and balance for this issue. So the problem has no end in sight.

Way too many Bikes on the Roads

Due to terrible traffic conditions in Karachi, most people opt to ride on bikes or utilize the Bykea app services to commute within the city. Bikes are cheaper than cars and can get around easily within the traffic.

But the problem is that there are too many bikes on the streets, which increases the possibility of accidents occurring. Most of the time, bikers often get into life-threatening accidents. They slip, fall, and crash from their bikes and mostly lose their precious lives.

A law should be passed that controls the ownership of bikes and how many bikes should be present in a household. Or maybe the government should promote a bicycling culture within the city, which will also tackle the issue of environmental pollution.

Garbage and Poor Road Conditions

Let’s be honest, we Karachiites are so used to living in dirty conditions that heaps of garbage on the streets have become a norm for us. The garbage is scattered all over the road, which causes further traffic problems for the drivers. In some cases, the humungous trash cans are lying around mid-road that block the oncoming traffic, making it almost impossible for drivers to smoothly drive by.

The conditions of the roads are also very dreadful, to say the least. With open drains, potholes, dust, and construction debris on the streets, the driving experience is not enjoyable at all. All these elements contribute to damaging the cars and are the cause of accidents and punctures.

Although the issue of open gutters, potholes, dust, and construction debris cannot be solved by the citizens. But we can stop littering the streets that cause heaps of garbage to pile up. It is our responsibility to ensure that our homes and streets stay clean so that we can minimize problems for ourselves and others.

Traffic Police and Citizens

If only the people of Karachi were such law-abiding citizens then the problems wouldn’t have existed in the first place. People disregard the traffic laws because there are no repercussions for breaking the law. Traffic police are not paid enough and work under harsh conditions; due to this, they resort to bribery and are not much of a help.

The elites of the city are also no saints, they usually own more than one vehicle and are not hesitant to break any traffic law. These people mostly drive trucks and SUVs, which are not street-friendly in Karachi. The accidents caused due to over-speeding and drunk driving are most common within this class. This only increases the suffering of a common man in this city.

Lack of infrastructure within the city has also resulted in people being ignorant and oblivious to the problems they create. Shops and marts within the city set up their businesses and simply forget to build a parking lot for their customers. As a result, parked cars consume all the space on the roads, thus, affecting the movement of traffic. Moreover, they cover up all the footpaths, which makes it tough for pedestrians to walk with ease.

Now there are two solutions to this problem, first is that the government should increase the salaries of traffic police so that they won’t depend on bribery for their bread and butter. This will also increase their work commitment and competency to ensure that citizens follow the traffic laws. The second solution is that the citizens of Karachi should buy compact cars such as hatchbacks that are more suitable to the conditions of the city.

Conclusion

In summary, it can be said that with all these aforementioned situations combined, the driving conditions of Karachi have become awfully harsh. The driving experience is not good, which affects the overall mood of the people. Hence, resulting in road rage and overall poor productivity.

The city is suffering from various issues and the traffic problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Authorities in charge are not much of any help and people are all on their own. Therefore, we as individuals must get into the driver’s seat and start the change from within. However, the city government should get their act together and develop laws and regulations that are beneficial for the citizens of Karachi and put an end to the traffic problems once and for all.