Encroachments causing deaths on Korangi Road

KARACHI - The 13-kilometre long Korangi Industrial Area Road has been witnessing increased fatalities in different timings of the day due to heavy encroachment by trucks and bad lighting arrangements. The road safety audit carried out by Road Traffic Injury Research and Prevention Centre and City District Government Karachi last year disclosed that some 52 per cent fatalities on this road occurred in the early morning hours and evening timings due to non-availability of street lights and heavy encroachments by trucks. Moreover, from all the intersections of Korangi Industrial Area Road, Chamra Chowrangi has the highest percentage of fatalities which is 30 per cent, and Brooks Chowrangi, Vita Chowrangi and Singer Chowrangi have fatalities rate of 23 per cent, 18 per cent, and 15 per cent respectively. The large portion of the road is encroached with the parked trucks, while this road is in worst condition as it has potholes, ditches, no traffic signals, insufficient street lights, absence of pedestrian facilities and bus stops, the audit report added. By looking at the fatalities involved in different vehicles, motorbike riders are highly involved in these fatalities with a ratio of 34 per cent, while among all road users fatalities on Korangi Industrial Area Road riders and pedestrians have ratio of 24 percentage. On Brooks Chowrangi, there are no traffic signals and it is a manually controlled road having dual carriageway with three lanes in each direction, while illegal parking, absence of lane marking and traffic controlling devices increase the poor condition of the road. Murtaza Chowrangi has a very shocking situation as the vehicles are parked inside the roundabout and the roundabout is broken. Apart from that there are manholes in the roundabout area. It has been suggested to the responsible departments like Traffic Police Department, Transport and Communication Department of CDGK, Works and Services Department of CDGK, and Pedestrian Bridge Department of CDGK should pay heed on the betterment of the road and its different parts. The safety measures and general recommendation given by the joint audit committee include illegal parking of trucks and encroachment should be removed from all intersections of Korangi Industrial Area Road for the proper utilisation of the road. Moreover, bus signals should be provided, zebra crossings along with road calming devices on intersections and mid blocks, proper street lights are urgently required as 30 per cent accidents have been reported in dark. Traffic signs should be installed on appropriate locations and should be periodically maintained, and wrong way issue should be taken seriously. It further suggested that strict enforcement and penalty action should be taken in order to avoid wrong way and illegal parking on intersections, proper U-turns should be provided and tire killers may be installed on all approaches of the roundabout to discourage wrong movements. Proper safety measures should be incorporated for different road users regarding the issue of Construction Work Zone (CWZ) by installing CWZ safety signs and barricading tapes at specified locations besides cat eyes should be applied on edge markings and lane markings. Similarly, proper road maintenance management, removal of distresses, patching, and proper surface treatments should be applied, while left lane should be reserved for HTVs including goods vehicles and passenger buses.