RAWALPINDI: Traders in the garrison city have called on the district administration to remove encroachments from Raja Bazaar and surrounding markets in order to alleviate the traffic congestion in the area.
The President of the Rawalpindi Traders Association, Sharjeel Mir, stated that despite a promise by the Deputy Commissioner two months ago to develop Iqbal Road as a model road without encroachments, no progress has been made.
Due to the traffic problem in the downtown area, he said that people are unwilling to visit the bazaar, which is negatively impacting businesses.
He added that people are opting to shop in markets closer to their homes to save on fuel.
The president also noted that promises made by the Punjab government and the district administration to build five parking plazas in the city areas had gone unfulfilled for the past four years.
He also mentioned that the government had plans to establish economic zones along the proposed Ring Road and shift main markets outside of the city areas, but bureaucratic obstacles had hindered progress on these plans.
