Herculean task: There should be no traffic jam at Iftar: RPO

Regional police chief tells city’s top cop to keep roads clear and traffic moving during evening rush hour

RAWALPINDI: Iftar time rush is an old problem of urban centres of the country, when everybody is racing to reach home before the siren announces end of the fast.

This enthusiastic rush to buy iftari in the last hour and then speed home creates traffic chaos in Rawalpindi where encroachers too are to blame for choked thoroughfares.

Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Wisal Fakkhar Sultan taking notice of traffic problems of the city on Friday directed the City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Bilal Iftikhar to make all out efforts to regulate city traffic particularly during Ramadan.

According to a statement, he RPO has directed the CTO to improve traffic flow on city roads especially before iftar time. There should be no traffic jam problem in any part of the city; the RPO said giving one week time to improve the situation. The CTO has also been instructed to make concerted efforts with the cooperation of departments concerned.

The RPO ordered to form special teams for Murree Road, Bank Road and other congested roads of the city so that the citizens could be provided relief.

It is pertinent to mention here that earlier the citizens had urged the authorities to take solid steps to regulate city traffic as illegal and wrong parking coupled with encroachments at footpaths and roadsides are not only affecting smooth movement of pedestrians but also aggravating traffic flow in all business hubs of the city and cantonment.

The situation is worst in Raja Bazaar, Bohar Bazar, and Banni Chowk, Circular Road, Murree Road, Pindora Road, Tench Bhatta, Sarafa Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town and other roads. In almost all commercial areas of the city, the shopkeepers display their items on the footpath creating problems for the pedestrians. Besides, large portion of footpaths and streets have been encroached by the vendors, forcing pedestrians to leave footpaths and put their lives in danger walking on roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2018.