Murree road, Raja Bazaar, Asghar Mall road, Commercial market, and Saddar have become notorious in the twin-cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi for their traffic jams. According to The Express Tribune, citizens are pointing towards illegal parking as the cause.
Citizens claim that along with normal traffic, ambulances and people with emergencies also struggle to get through. According to local merchants, illegal stands for pickups, rickshaws, taxis, and vans on both sides of the main thoroughfare also cause frequent traffic congestion.
Merchants and their delegations reportedly met with district administration and City Traffic Police (CTP) officials to discuss the matter. Yet, the authorities are yet to take concrete steps in this regard.
The report adds, citing a spokesperson of CTP, that public transport stands were formerly located in the parking plaza at Fawara Chowk. However, due to the increased number of vehicles in the city, there is no longer enough space in the parking plaza.
The spokesperson stated that the administration has allotted space for the construction of a new parking plaza next to the Tehsil office. Although, transporters refuse to park there due to the uneven terrain.
He stated that the authorities only allow one or two public transportation vehicles to park on the main road. “Legal action will be taken against those who abuse this conditional permission,” he claimed.
He also stated that the department has allocated additional traffic officers to ensure the smooth flow of traffic through Raja Bazaar and other major thoroughfares.
An Unaccounted For Issue
One major issue that the people have pointed towards specifically is encroachments from the merchants. Most shopkeepers on Murree Road and other main roads in Rawalpindi have encroached on to the roads illegally, leaving no space for the motorists to park their cars.
In some instances, if a person tries to park in front of a shop, the merchants start hurling threats and getting into fights with the motorists, claiming that the space in front of their road is “a part of their shop.”
These issues occur right in front of the on-duty traffic wardens, yet no action is ever taken against them. Given the lack of care from the relevant authorities, these issues are likely to get worse.
Stay Connected with ProPakistani
Get the latest automobile news, car launches, bike reviews, videos and analysis wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
You can’t tell anyone anything in this country… Everyone has the right and freedom to park and drive anywhere and any side of the road. Motorcyclists are the worst since everyone else is responsible for their safely and protecting themselves from their total ignorance of the law.
good
Dilemma of traffic congestion in specific shopping centers of downtown Rawalpindi is due to lack of interest and inability to maintain the hustle and bustle of the city by the concerned competent authorities like municipal corporation Rawalpindi, RDA, District Council, Rawalpindi Traffic Police Authority.
MCR & RDA are the worst ever departments resulting not only in vehicular traffic but also in other walks of daily routine life.
These departments do not pay due attention for privision of civic amenities inspite of collecting huge revenues, only thing they are concerned to grease their palms for allowing the shop keepers for encroaching the pedestrian walkways, allowing street hawkers to permanently occupy the vehicular and pedestrian areas.
When some pressure builts from print and electronic media reports , these departments just as an eye wash raid the areas and disperse the hawkers from roads and the scenario continues after the inspectors depart.
This problem can only be dealt with proper urban planning keeping in view all the aspects of shop owner requirements, shopper rights and to strictly implement the local area authority byelaws.
Until and unless some punitive actions are taken without fear of strikes of violators of such byelaws, this menace can not be controlled.
Vehicular traffic shall be totally banned in areas like inner city where wholesale and retail shops are and spacious parking lots be constructed at least a distance of two KMs away of these areas.
A shuttle bus service shall be arranged from these parking areas to rectice wholesale and retail shops for daily shoppers. This will curb the congestion and make the core of the shopping area neat, clean and wide open for people to shop easily.
There are other solutions as well which can be further discussed accordingly.
Worst condintion in front of dubai plaza only 1 car can pass the way on 6th road and also comersial market looks like raja bazar no one cares 😡