Karachi commissioner bans daytime movement of heavy vehicles for 2 months

The Karachi administration has imposed a two-month ban on the daytime movement of heavy vehicles in the city, according to an official notification that surfaced on Wednesday.

The notification issued on Tuesday by the Karachi commissioner stated that the deputy inspector general of Karachi traffic police sought restrictions on heavy vehicle movement during daytime hours “in order to resolve traffic congestion issues due to the influx of heavy vehicular traffic and to prevent road traffic accidents”.

The commissioner said that, to safeguard lives and maintain the smooth flow of traffic, there were adequate grounds to invoke Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to regulate the movement of heavy vehicles within the city.

Under the order, dumper trucks transporting construction material have been completely barred from operating in Karachi during the day and are only allowed on the roads between 10pm and 6am.

The notification also placed a general restriction on the movement of heavy traffic across the city during daytime hours, permitting entry only between 10pm and 6am.

However, vehicles carrying “essential commodities” have been exempted from the ban. These include supplies of water, edible oil, liquid nitrogen, meat, animal skin and medical gases categorised as life-saving drugs.

In addition, the movement of heavy vehicles has been entirely prohibited on Jinnah Avenue, from the Super Highway (M-9 Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway) near Saima Pari Classic and Rufi Global City up to Malir Halt, Sharea Faisal.

Specific routes have been allocated for heavy traffic, excluding dumper trucks carrying construction material. These routes include the Super Highway leading to the New Karachi Industrial Area via a slip road, and the National Highway connecting Godown Chowrangi, Younas Chowrangi and Dawood Chowrangi. Heavy vehicles have also been permitted to use the Northern Bypass to reach Gulbai and Mauripur while travelling towards Karachi Port.

An alternate route has been designated from Link Road Kathore to Sasui Toll Plaza. 

According to the order, the restrictions will remain in force for two months, from December 23 to February 22, 2026.