Traffic in Karachi

Every year I visit my family in Karachi. This year I was in Karachi during August. First thing that I noticed as soon as I came out of Jinnah terminal was the increase in traffic. Although it was relatively early in the morning, the traffic on Shahrah-e-Faisal was bumper to bumper. Throughout my stay I encountered traffic congestions wherever I went in Karachi. There were long lines of automobiles on every traffic light. M.A Jinnah Road, Hasan Square, Jail Chowrangi were frequently blocked. I think one of the reasons of this mess is the exponential increase in the personal automobiles (especially cars). It seems that everyone is driving his/her own car. You can see lot of cars with just the driver. It is time that Karachites take action. The solution to this problem is public transportation. Public transportation helps relieve traffic congestion, reducing hours of delay. Karachi has a very good transportation system. There is bus service to every part of the city. Taxis (although most of them are in real bad condition) are not expensive either. The circular railway is still operative. If the city government can revitalize local train service this alone can reduce traffic congestion considerably. But improving traffic flow is not just the administration's responsibility. It is also the civic responsibility of each and every citizen to play his/her role. Reducing number of vechiles on the road will not only help traffic flow it will also reduce greenhouse gases thus making air more breathable. Public transport sector will also generate job opportunities for thousand of people. It is a win-win situation for all.