The recent rains have left the city’s major arteries in a shambles, turning daily commuting into an agonising ordeal for citizens. With roads riddled with cracks, potholes and sewerage overflow, residents say their journeys have become longer, costlier and increasingly risky.
During a survey by The Express Tribune a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) spokesperson admitted that the condition of the roads has deteriorated but claimed that repair work has begun under the directives of Mayor Murtaza Wahab.
Urban planner Muhammad Tauheed told Express that Karachi has nearly 2,000 arteries, of which almost half are in ruins. “The faulty sewerage system is the biggest reason behind the destruction,” he said.
Laila Raza of the Karachi Bachao Committee said damaged roads are affecting the health and dignity of citizens. “Ask a motorcyclist who leaves home in clean clothes in the morning how they look by evening,” she added.
Social activist Naiem Khan, who travels by motorcycle, said “suspensions and tyres wear out fast. Car owners may be shielded from the dust, but their repair bills are piling up too.”
Ali Sohail, a resident of Martin Road, said his monthly motorcycle expenses had risen by Rs2,000 because of frequent oil changes, repairs and washes. Similarly, Muhammad Kamran from Saddar lamented, “journeys that should take minutes now stretch into hours. It is draining people mentally and physically.”
Doctors confirm a spike in health complaints linked to the roads. Dr Farooq Khan, a physician at a private hospital, said more patients are reporting chest infections, respiratory problems and spinal pains.
A spokesperson for a leading ambulance service said protests and damaged roads are delaying emergency transfers.
Jamaat-e-Islami UC Nazim Kaleem-ul-Haq Usmani said Karachi’s infrastructure is “in ruins” while rulers “look the other way.” Citizens like Sadia Shahid, a woman with special needs, urged the mayor to intervene directly. “Daily travel on Shahrah-e-Faisal has become unbearable. The government must act,” she said. Auto mechanic Faraz Ahmed added that poor roads are causing serious fitness issues in motorcycles and cars.
While the KMC maintains that repair work is underway on the 106 roads under its jurisdiction, officials concede that other institutions are responsible for the rest. In the meantime, the Traffic Police say they have resorted to filling potholes with soil and debris to keep the traffic moving.
