Commuters suffer due to traffic jam

ISLAMABAD: The rally of Nawaz Sharif, for a few hours, disrupted flow of traffic in the federal capital creating problems for people going to hospitals, schools and workplaces.

Ambulances stuck in traffic jam were blowing sirens in vain to get way to hospitals. When media persons tried to capture the scene, some PML-N workers got enraged and thrashed up a TV channel reporter.

They even snatched cell phones of a woman who was trying to capture the incident.

Besides patients, women were worst affected by the traffic melee. Fahmida Khan a working lady told The Express tribune that she had to travel eight to 10 kilometres on foot to reach her home on Tuesday evening due to shortage of public transport and diversion of routes.

Islamabad Traffic Police had stopped heavy traffic, particularly goods transporters before Koral Chowk to allow the rally to pass smoothly through its remits.

Very few public transport vehicles were witnessed on the roads particularly at the Islamabad Expressway, Murree Road and adjoining thoroughfares.

Long queues of heavy trailer-trucks and inter-city buses were seen at Islamabad Expressway before Koral Chowk. Vans running between Islamabad, Rawalpindi and nearby towns coming to Islamabad Expressway were diverted towards IJP Road near Faizabad Bridge which created gridlock at the spot.

Drivers seeing logjam on other roads started moving in the opposite direction near Fizaaia Colony U-Turn which caused a traffic mess due two way traffic flow on single side of Islamabad Expressway.

Mohamad Khalid a resident of Rawalpindi told The Express Tribune that police was not allowing motorists to move on Islamabad Expressway so he had to travel long way via IJP Road to go his workplace at Aabpara.

He said that due to diversion near Faizabad Bridge the traffic flow increased at IJP Road and reduced the speed of traffic.

The slow movement of vehicles on clogged roads created traffic jam at Faizabad Bridge as all most all traffic coming from airport side towards Islamabad was diverted on IJP Road.

He said that he has to use Mir Chakkar Khan Road in Sector I-8, to reach in his office.

Meanwhile, National Highways and Motorway Police N-5 North Zone has chalked out a detailed traffic plan for August 10. Processions and rallies are expected to use G.T Road in huge volumes due to which routine traffic can possibly be disturbed and severe blockage could be encountered from Jhelum to Gujranwala G.T Road. However Jhelum to Rawalpindi and Gujranwala to Lahore GT Road will remain open for routine traffic. Commuters willing to travel in between Lahore, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala are advised to use Motorway (M-2). As huge volumes of traffic are expected to ply in between Jhelum to Gujranwala, general public is requested to avoid unnecessary travel on GT Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2017.