Karachi's Road Safety Dilemma: Progress Amid Persistent Challenges

Karachi faces a traffic crisis marked by reckless driving and poor infrastructure. Despite a 31.7% drop in road fatalities in 2025 due to stricter enforcement, experts urge systemic changes to tackle underlying mobility issues, citing population growth and inadequate public transport as major concerns.

In Karachi, traffic tragedies are a grim reality for residents, highlighting a larger crisis of reckless driving, inadequate road infrastructure, and weak law enforcement. In 2025, the city saw 803 road fatalities, though a significant 31.7% decline in the latter half offered some relief.

Authorities attribute this decline to data-driven enforcement strategies, such as the e-challan system and the Karachi Road Accident Analysis Team, which focuses on accident-prone areas. Mandatory tracking for commercial vehicles has also bolstered road safety, with the introduction of digital enforcement cutting daily fatalities from three to two, as stated by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic Peer Muhammad Shah.

Despite these strides, experts warn that enforcement alone will not solve Karachi's mobility challenges. Rapid urbanization, sprawling settlements, and a lagging public transport system exacerbate traffic woes. Urban planner Noman Ahmed advocates for systemic changes, including expanded public transport, safer road designs, and a unified fare system to ensure lasting improvements.

(With inputs from agencies.)