Development at a cost.

AFTER much pomp and fanfare at the launch of Green Line bus project late last year, with the media highlighting the event along with Orange Line's inauguration, we now see development work being done on Red Line these days as part of second line of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Karachi, with the aim of providing decent, affordable transport to the citizens.

Modern urban transport systems are used to facilitate the public in mega cities around the world. The planned route for Red Line bus would start from Model Colony, and run through Malir Cantonment, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and areas all along the University Road, connecting them with the Green Line BRT at Numaish Chowrangi, making it a 26.6km corridor.

While this so-called 'game-changer' may be good news and something to 'celebrate' for some, and may be beneficial to citizens in the time to come, the project has brought more misery and has made life a hassle for those who have already been facing horrible traffic jams, especially in the morning and evening office hours across University Road.

A little over a lane on both sides of the route on roads from Safoora Chowk till Jail Chowrangi bridge, and at People's Chowrangi near Islamia College, have been blocked by putting barricades all along the way. This has created logjams and the situation gets worse during peak hours. The misery of the commuters is to be seen to be believed. In fact, it has to be suffered to be believed.

Whenever such mega...