Notices issued to IGP, AIG over poor traffic management

Karachi
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday summoned Inspector and Additional Inspector General Sindh over a petition filed against frequent traffic jams and non-functional signals at DHA, Phase-IV; an explanation over insufficient number of officers in the traffic police force was also sought.
A two-member bench of the SC, headed by Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany was hearing the petition regarding traffic and other civic issues in DHA.
DIG Traffic Dr Amir Shah while responding to the bench’s query informed that merely two thousand personnel were inducted in the force to manage the traffic system of the entire city. Out of the total number of personnel, three hundred were deployed in DHA.
The DIG claimed he had written letters in order to get the strength increased; however, the concerned authorities had bothered to respond to the letters.
The court called for Sindh IG and AIG Karachi to appear before the court on Friday (today) and explain the traffic management system of the city, particularly of DHA.
Foreign registered vehicles
Inquiring further into the city’s traffic management system, the court sought an explanation over vehicles with foreign and temporary registrations plying the roads.
Responding to the query, the DIG submitted the responsibility of registering vehicles lay with the provincial excise and taxation department and not the traffic police force. Following Dr Shah’s response, the court also sought an explanation from the director of the excise and taxation department.
Lack of traffic lights
Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) Chief Executive Officer, Shahrome Safdar Khattak, informed that 20 intersections in the vicinity were without traffic lights; however, a comprehensive plan for their installation had been drawn up.
New computerised traffic lights were informed to be imported from Austria and installed within six months.
The CEO was directed to produce a copy of the plan, and ensure that traffic signals already installed in DHA were in a working condition.
Development projects
DHA’s Secretary Brig (retd) Inam Karim submitted the civic authority was doing its utmost to make the desalination plant, at DHA phase-VIII, functional.
The plant has been non-functional for the last decade as the company entrusted with its construction had gone bankrupt, but had taken over the plant.
He also informed that two experimental desalination plants had also been installed in DHA.
Regarding construction of a connecting bridge at the Korangi road, the secretary submitted the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was yet to hand over land required for its construction, whereas the K-Electric had to remove electricity poles hampering the construction.
The KMC administrator and KE managing director were also issued notices to appear before the court today.