The City of Lights Braces itself for a Traffic Nightmare on Account of PSL

With cricket coming to the city, Karachi has braced itself against one of its worst nightmares being, gridlocks. 

The metropolis is scheduled to hold its first match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) VI on Saturday. The National Stadium is the venue of the match and is expected to brim with exuberance and excitement. However, the rest of the city is likely to be trapped in a traffic nightmare, which does not offer a way out for commuters stuck in logjams. 

Traffic plans for the event were issued several days earlier in anticipation of the tournament. According to these, only small vehicles will be permitted on the roads, which are in close proximity of the National Stadium. This rule will apply until the end of the PSL matches in the city that is the 7th of March. 

The movement of public transport and heavy vehicles on these arteries has been strictly restricted until the end of the tournament. 

The road that leads to Hasan Square flyover, as well as the National Stadium from Liaquatabad, will stay closed for traffic at the time of matches. On the same note, the patch which starts after a left turn from the Aga Khan University Hospital, Sir Shah Suleman Road, up to Liaquatabad, will only be open for small vehicles. 

The University Road, on the other hand, will stay open for traffic. However, the left turning road which leads straight towards the National Stadium will not be open. 

In addition, no vehicles will be permitted to travel on the National Stadium flyover. Small vehicles, nevertheless, can operate on the Karsaz flyover, Shahrae Faisal, as well as Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola Roads, leading up to the signal for National Stadium. 

Public transport and heavy vehicles will not be allowed to travel from Millenium Mall, Rashid Minhas Road, New Town intersection, and Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi Road, to the National Stadium signal. However, these tracks will stay open for small cars. 

Moreover, heavy traffic will be restricted from operating on tracks which connect Hasan Square with Liaquatabad, Nipa Chowrangi to Sohrab Goth, and Mazar-e-Quaid and Peoples Chowrangi, to University Road.

These restrictions are relevant to all PSL matches, which have been scheduled in the City of Lights from the 20th of February to the 22nd of February, 24th of February, 26th of February to the 1st of March, and 3rd of March to the 7th of March.

A traffic police official also stated that despite the traffic plan that has been devised to avoid gridlocks, the traffic flow in the city will be disrupted. According to him, it will cause inconvenience to those visiting the stadium, as well as commuters all over the city. 

The official informed that some routes have been allowed to stay open for small vehicles due to the fact that Aga Khan University Hospital is located in close proximity of the stadium. But, he added, the restrictions on public transport and heavy vehicles will still be a cause of trouble for the citizens of the country.