K-P FM radio to broadcast alternative routes

Civil admin comes up with options to mitigate traffic congestion issues in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: In a bid to resolve the traffic congestion owing to the construction work of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to keep people informed about the road conditions and alternative routes through government-run FM Radio Pakhtunkhwa.

The idea was tabled during a meeting of administration at Civil Secretariat which decided to kick off a multi-pronged campaign to inform people about alternative routes.

A hand out of the provincial government stated that Secretary Information Qaiser Alam chaired the meeting where plans were finalised with officials of the police department and Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) to resolve the worst traffic congestions of major thoroughfare in the city after the start construction on BRT. Secretary Transport Kamran Rehman also participated in the meeting.

Following the meeting, Alam issued directives to start broadcasting public service messages on regular intervals using the government-run FM Radio Pakhtunkhwa channel providing details regarding traffic congestions and alternative routes at various spots in the city so that people may be directed accordingly.

Alam also directed to start issuing display ads in print media highlighting alternate routes to be used in the city in case of traffic congestions arising out of the construction work.

Additionally, it was also decided that flyers, pamphlets and brochures will also be published and distributed for informing the people about detours.

Secretary transport issued directives to display area specific alternative routes on signboards and billboards throughout the city, in addition to identifying rush hours and devising effective methodology to divert traffic on alternative routes.

SSP Traffic Police Riaz Muhammad informed the meeting that his department was using squad vans to inform people about detours and areas of traffic congestions. Moreover, a helpline (1915) was providing information to masses regarding traffic situation in the city.

PDA Director Ikram Khan informed the meeting that steps have been initiated to control the pollution arising out of the construction works for which the number of water tankers have been increased which spray water on regular intervals to avoid dust in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2017.