E-Challans Rise While Karachi’s Traffic Infrastructure Crumbles

Despite the Sindh government’s strict focus on enforcing e-challans, Karachi’s traffic troubles persist as engineering and management responsibilities remain divided among several entities, creating major coordination gaps, sources told Dawn.

According to officials, the lack of a unified traffic engineering authority has become a major barrier to improving road design, signal timing, and overall traffic flow.

The Traffic Engineering Bureau (TEB) of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA), and various cantonment boards currently share these responsibilities, leaving no single body fully accountable.

TEB, which is primarily responsible for installing and maintaining traffic signals and signs, is struggling due to severe financial constraints.

KDA officials confirmed that of the 130 traffic signals across the city, 90 fall under TEB, while the cantonment boards manage 40.

However, sources said TEB is actively maintaining only 50 of its 90 signals, with the rest nonfunctional and in need of major repairs.

KDA Director General Asif Jan Siddiqui acknowledged that the authority is barely able to maintain existing infrastructure due to budget shortages.

Plan for Karachi Traffic Management Company

The Sindh government is now considering establishing a Karachi Traffic Management Company (KTMC) to centralize traffic engineering functions.

The proposed body would oversee the installation and repair of signals, road and lane markings, U-turns, and zebra crossings.

Sources said the company would be chaired by the Karachi mayor, with the commissioner and private-sector experts as members, and would absorb the current TEB.

Officials revealed that the proposal has been discussed in high-level meetings, and DIG Traffic Pir Muhammad Shah has already briefed industrial representatives, stating that the company would receive a share of challan revenue to fund road improvements.

Karachi’s commissioner, however, said the proposal is still in its “conceptual stage.” Another option being considered is merging TEB into the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

SMTA Steps In

Despite TEB’s official mandate, the SMTA has started installing traffic signals independently.

SMTA Managing Director Kanwal Nizam Bhutto said the authority has already installed 11 new signals in areas including Model Colony, Gulberg, Tipu Sultan Road, Gurumandir, Kamran Chowrangi, Munawar Chowrangi, and Steel Township.

SMTA has also upgraded 24 of 27 existing signals under an Annual Development Plan.

In addition, the authority has installed 243 new traffic signboards along major roads, including Shahrah-i-Quaideen, Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, and Saddar.