Quetta Faces Severe Traffic Jams as Citizens Demand Removal of Encroachments and Better Traffic Management
QUETTA: Traffic congestion has become a persistent and serious problem in Balochistan’s capital, with citizens forced to spend hours stuck on roads on a daily basis and demanding immediate measures to improve the city’s traffic management system.
Long queues of vehicles, constant honking, exhaust fumes and scorching heat have become common sights on major roads, markets and intersections across Quetta. Citizens say they have been waiting for improvements in the traffic system, while the relevant authorities appear reluctant to take practical measures.
Major areas including Jinnah Road, Kasi Road, Sariab Road, Mekangi Road, Brewery, Spini Road and Samungli Road regularly experience severe traffic congestion. The situation becomes particularly difficult during office and school hours.
The seriousness of the problem can be gauged from the difficulties faced by ambulances. Despite sounding their sirens, emergency vehicles often struggle to find a way through congested roads. Several citizens said patients and injured people were unable to reach hospitals on time because of traffic jams.
Affected residents expressed anger and frustration, saying there was neither a permanent strategy to address congestion nor effective enforcement by traffic personnel.
Experts speaking to ANN identified several factors behind the worsening traffic situation, including narrow roads, poor urban planning, encroachments such as shops and stalls occupying footpaths, untrained drivers, traffic violations, the absence or malfunctioning of traffic signals, insufficient traffic police personnel and ineffective enforcement.
Citizens and experts have called on the Balochistan government and district administration to take immediate steps to address the crisis.
Their demands include the immediate removal of roadside encroachments, increasing the strength of the traffic police, installing modern traffic signals at major intersections, restricting heavy traffic during specified hours and establishing a mass-transit or efficient public transport system.
They said urgent and long-term measures were essential to ease congestion, improve road safety and ensure that emergency vehicles could move freely through the city.
