Sindh Govt to Launch Crackdown on Encroachments in Karachi
The Sindh government has decided to start a large-scale crackdown to remove encroachments from major roads in Karachi.
The decision was made on Thursday during a meeting chaired by Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
“According to the decision of the Sindh government, in the first phase, an operation will be carried out on a priority basis on major roads of the city, including University Road, as well as various routes of the People’s Bus Service,” the statement said.
It was decided that the police, city administration, and transport department would jointly take action against encroachments.
The concerned departments were directed to take “immediate measures” to remove established encroachments along the bus service routes as well as illegal encroachments that blocked traffic flow.
Action Against Illegal Bus Terminals
The government also decided to shift illegal bus terminals set up in different parts of the city, including Sohrab Goth, to areas outside the city.
The senior minister said encroachments on roads and bus routes caused “serious difficulties for citizens and passengers”.
“Illegal occupations and obstructions on roads affect the smooth flow of traffic, increase fuel expenses and also create difficulties in the movement of public transport,” Memon was quoted as saying.
“To provide better travel facilities to citizens, it is necessary to make major roads and bus routes free from encroachments,” he said.
He directed the concerned departments to take action against illegal encroachments under a joint strategy and to launch an operation against illegal bus terminals “so that traffic pressure on the city’s roads could be reduced and citizens could be provided with ease in their daily commute”.
Future Transport Plans
The meeting also discussed setting up modern bus terminals outside Karachi under a public-private partnership and the project to expand the Karachi Bus Terminal.
Memon directed the concerned officials to speed up efforts for a logistics park, saying that “all relevant departments should work together to improve traffic flow in the city and organise the transport system”, the statement concluded.
Background on University Road
University Road, a main thoroughfare in the metropolitan city, faces severe traffic congestion due to the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit Red Line project, which was launched in March 2022 and estimated to complete within 30 months after its ground-breaking.
In September, Memon said that the difficulties faced by commuters on University Road were “almost over”. Earlier in August, the minister had promised that the government would make University Road “100 per cent motorable” by Sept 15.
