Fazal Elahi Road in dilapidated condition

KARACHI - The road safety audit of Chaudhry Fazal Elahi Road has disclosed that this area is highly affected by the fatalities due to improper maintenance, absence of road calming devices, improper road markings, illegal marking, wrong U-turns and obstruction wall. This 8km long road has 25.63 per cent fatal and seriously injured per kilometer, and by looking at the hourly accidents of Ch Fazal Elahi Road almost 65 per cent ride injuries are occurred in different timings and 58 per cent on private vehicles. According to the audits jointly conducted last year by Road Traffic Injury Research & Prevention Centre and City District Government Karachi, this road is highly affected with the wrong way issue on U-turns besides improper diversion of traffic patterns. Moreover, on different spots of Ch Fazal Elahi Road like in front of Nazia Flats, UP turn no safe designed intersection is present. Adjacent to Chippa Booth, in front of Usmania Public School, there is a partially covered manhole right in the middle of the road which is very dangerous for the road users. On main road of Power House, round patching has been done on several places but now this patching has become a distress for road users due to rapid patching action. Wrong way is much more common on Power House roundabout and North Care Hospital. In the center of roundabout of Power House, there is an obstruction or temporary wall which reduces the sight distance of the road users on turning as they are unable to see the coming traffic due to the larger radius, though large radius is effective for road users which is not visible by dint of this wall. Similarly, on 4K Chowrangi, where Ch Fazal Elahi Road ends at a staggered junction, a large number of Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) movement has been observed and no warning is provided. Absence of traffic signals and devices to reduce traffic congestion are endangering the safety of the road. Moreover, dumpers are parked on this road, debris and trees are present on sidewalks and service road is fully encroached from Power House towards 4K Chowrangi. Improper levels of sidewalks, illegal cuts, improper enforcement, presence of pebbles and stones at roundabout, and encroachment of bus stops at main roads (especially 4K and 4J) are the main issues. At Karella Mor near Fairy Garden an illegal cut adjacent to U-turn is hazardous to all road users merging with this traffic stream, and slightly ramp position is attained at U-turn on road joining towards 4K Chowrangi. The jointly audit report has given some proposals for the arrangements to enhance road safety at Ch Fazal Elahi Road like road maintenance management, installation of traffic calming signals, proper traffic sings and road markings are necessary. Moreover, beneath the Nagan Chowrangi Flyover sharp horizontal curve should be properly fenced with the application of transverse bar markings to avoid pedestrian accidents. Pedestrian bridge construction at Nagan Chowrangi should be given utmost priority and boundary wall around Power House roundabout should be removed in order to provide the road users with better sight distance, the proposals further suggest. It further recommends that bus terminal at 4K Chowrangi which is encroached by 4k and 4J buses should be properly utilised and bus operators must be taken on board, while median should also be maintained at the junction of 2-minute and 4K Chowrangi to stop wrong way movement. And service road from Power House towards 4K Chowrangi should be properly maintained; at Fairy Garden near Karella Mor, a cut adjacent to U-turn should be closed in order to avoid merging collisions as Karella Mor which has high pedestrian movement and weekly bazaars also operate here, thus pedestrian bridge is suggested. It is pertinent to mention that injury rate on Ch Fazal Elahi Road in 2008 was at total 842 accidents happened in which 638 were minors, 180 were serious and 24 were fatal.