Rawalpindi’s Traffic Worsens Due to Illegal Parking in Business Areas

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.