Heavy Vehicle Surge Causes Major Traffic Jam in Karachi’s Mauripur Area

A severe traffic crisis has engulfed Mauripur, one of Karachi’s major commercial and industrial hubs, causing significant commuting difficulties for residents. The situation worsened due to the lack of effective traffic management by the authorities.

Following the conclusion of a 10-day nationwide strike by goods transporters, a large influx of heavy vehicles returned to the roads simultaneously, resulting in near-total gridlock on Mauripur Road for almost 15 hours. Long queues of trailers, trucks, and other commercial vehicles extended on both sides of the road up to Gulbai, severely impacting daily commuters as well as industrial and commercial activities in the area.

According to reports, traffic police were absent from the scene for several hours, further exacerbating the situation. Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance President Malik Shehzad Awan said, “Despite the passage of considerable time, adequate arrangements were not made to manage traffic.” However, Rangers personnel have since intervened to restore traffic flow, leading to gradual improvements.

The nationwide strike was called off following successful negotiations between the government and the goods transporters. Representatives from both the federal and Sindh governments met with alliance leaders over two consecutive days and reached agreements on the transporters’ demands. Malik Shehzad Awan told the media, “The government had accepted all demands of the transporters,” prompting the decision to end the strike, but he warned that a nationwide strike could resume if the agreement is violated.

The strike, which began on December 8, was launched to protest fines imposed on heavy vehicles and alleged misconduct by traffic police. During the strike, operations at Karachi Port were severely disrupted, and ship movements were halted until the issue was resolved through prolonged negotiations at multiple locations, including the Customs House.