At the time when street crime has not been fully curbed in Karachi, another crisis has emerged that has been claiming human lives on a daily basis. Almost every day, news reports highlight tragic accidents caused by heavy vehicles, adding to the city's ongoing challenges.
The recklessness of heavy vehicles has reached such an alarming level that since the beginning of this year alone, 90 people—including women and children—have lost their lives, while over a thousand others have been injured.
A majority of these accidents have been caused by heavy vehicles, whether they are dumpers, trailers, or trucks. These incidents highlight the growing danger posed by such vehicles on Karachi’s roads, making it a pressing issue that demands immediate attention.
If we look at just one day — Saturday —, six people died in separate traffic accidents, with the most tragic incident occurring in Korangi, where a speeding dumper crushed three cousins riding a motorcycle.
This was not an isolated incident. Just a few days earlier on Wednesday, another horrific accident at Jauhar Morr claimed the lives of a man and his wife, and another person, again due to a reckless dumper truck driver.
The video footage from the accident scene clearly indicates that this was not a mere collision but a horrifying event in which the dumper recklessly plowed through motorcycles and cars over a considerable distance. The police registered a case on behalf of the state but they have failed to arrest the truck driver responsible for the accident. Instead, they detained the dumper owner, who is reportedly the driver's father, merely as a formality.
Later, on Thursday, in Malir's Saudabad area, a speeding dumper struck a motorcycle carrying a family near a private laboratory. As a result, 40-year-old Saleem, son of Amin, and his 13-year-old son Affan died on the spot, while Saleem’s wife, 30-year-old Rubina, was critically injured.
Like many previous incidents, the dumper driver managed to flee the scene. The bodies of the deceased were sent to their hometown, Muzaffargarh, for burial.
Outside the Chhipa Welfare mortuary in Lines Area, the deceased Saleem’s brother, Kaleemullah, spoke to the media. He revealed that his brother was a resident of Hijrat Colony and worked as a security guard. He explained that Saleem had gone to visit relatives in Khuda Ki Basti with his wife and son and was returning home when tragedy struck. The young victim, Affan, was a second-grade student.
During the first 39 days of 2025 in Karachi, 90 citizens lost their lives and around 1,200 citizens were injured in traffic accidents, including innocent children, young boys and women. The increasing number of accidents in the city is primarily attributed to the uncontrolled heavy traffic, including dumpers, trailers, water tankers and oil tankers, as well as the dilapidated roads of the city. On the other hand, the alleged bribery by traffic police officers and personnel stationed on the city’s roads is also seen as a major cause of the increase in traffic accidents.
The traffic police, who are supposed to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and enforce traffic laws, are often seen involved in extortion activities instead of protecting the lives and property of citizens. Traffic police officers and personnel are reportedly using government instructions as a means to make money, by setting up checkpoints and extorting bribes from citizens, threatening them with hefty fines or arrests if they don't comply.
The parking mafia is also rampant in important commercial areas, government and private hospitals, and markets, with traffic police officers and personnel reportedly overseeing this illegal activity. Citizens are forced to pay 50 rupees for motorcycle parking and up to 200 rupees for car parking.
Unregulated and illegal bus stands, car stands, and rickshaw stands are another major cause of traffic congestion in the city. Traveling on the city's major roads has become a nightmare for citizens, with heavy vehicles frequently occupying roads during prohibited hours. The city's roads are congested with traffic, and travel that would normally take minutes now takes hours.
In December 2024, a tragic incident occurred when a speeding dumper crushed educationist Professor Tariq Salah and his wife near Jamali Bridge. Following this incident, the Sindh chief minister issued orders to the inspector general of police to take measures to prevent traffic accidents. Afterward, traffic police officers installed banners on the city’s roads and intersections to raise awareness and enforce heavy traffic hours and rules. However, the traffic police have been unable to effectively implement these rules.
According to statistics, in the first month of the current year, a total 68 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in Karachi, 23 of whom were killed by heavy vehicles like trailers, tankers, dumpers and trucks. However, with these 68 people, over 1,040 people were also injured. Furthermore, between February 1 and 6, 16 people, including women and children, lost their lives, and more than 200 were injured. These figures clearly demonstrate the poor performance of the traffic police, who, despite their efforts, have only managed to arrest only few responsible drivers.