Jammed roads: Traffic congestion continues in Rawalpindi

Encroachments, lack of parking areas contribute to traffic; authorities remain unconcerned

RAWALPINDI: Traffic congestion is a wicked problem which is creating difficulties for the citizens particularly in congested areas of the town as the number of vehicles and motorcycles registered by Excise and Taxation Rawalpindi has reached 1,081,422. Long queues of vehicles can be seen on different city roads including Murree Road, Raja Bazar, Jamia Masjid Road, Saidpur Road, Rehmanad, Sadiqabad, Tench Bhatta and other thoroughfares particularly of main city area. These queues can easily be avoided by imposing increased penalties, including parking rules, on the traffic rules violators.

According to traffic and road safety experts, the government should introduce strict laws and rules with heavy fines to tackle the traffic hazards, increase the level of road safety and ensure smooth flow of traffic in congested areas as several roads including Raja Bazar and Murree Road remain cramped full of vehicles. Ambulances carrying patients can also be witnessed stuck in
the long queues of vehicles on the city roads.

Total number of vehicles and motorcycles registered by Excise and Taxation Rawalpindi has reached 1,081,422 including 92,136 vehicles and 833,751 motorcycles. The department registered total 38,635 diesel vehicles with 33,602 CNG and 1,009,185 petrol vehicles and motorcycles. 115,718 vehicles and motorcycles were registered during last financial year. The department registered total 119,873 petrol vehicles including 104,102 motorcycles, 5808 cars, 19 CNG cars , 1,111 diesel cars and other vehicles during the 2017-18.Total 121,003 vehicles including motorcycles, motor cars, jeeps, street wagons, pick-ups, vans, buses, minibuses, flying coaches, rickshaws, motorcars, trucks, tractors, ambulances, water bowzers, and cranes were registered during the year in the district.

Proper police enforcement can help reduce the number of violations which should be focused by the authorities concerned. The government should invest in automated enforcement to increase the level of efficiency in catching and penalising the violators. Smarter and more efficient roads should be built. Maintenance of the roads in the city is one of the major issues faced by the commuters.

Facilities for pedestrians must also be improved from the quality of footpaths to making strict rules for pedestrian signals. More awareness campaigns need to be undertaken to inculcate traffic discipline and civic sense. One of the barriers in smooth flow of traffic is encroachment. In the city markets the shopkeepers put their goods outside their shops and also on footpaths and roads which cause a great hurdle in the flow of traffic. There is no proper parking area in the Rawalpindi City except Raja plaza.

Though, the owners of commercial plazas construct plaza basements as parking lots, on later stages they convert these basements into shops violating the rules. It is a dilemma that in the city proper parking plazas and spaces could not be established by the development authorities to facilitate the motorists. That is why citizens face problems while visiting city areas to park their vehicles. Rawalpindi city has only nine bus bays in densely populated and congested areas of Rawalpindi City.

The authorities concerned should manage bus bays/bus stops in proper ways. Due to the lack of bus bays and Heavy Public Service Vehicle (PSVs) stands, these Public Service Vehicles are being parked on roads which create a great inconvenience for the general public.

The ban on entry of heavy vehicles in the city areas during day time should be implemented strictly. Another problem being faced by the motorists is chocked sewerage system of the city which is not well established and maintained. The rainwater pours on the roads, which fills the markets and shops. Most vehicles end up trapped in this water. The underpass of Committee Chowk also becomes victim to rainwater. "What to do when we have no space to take fresh air," said Mahmood, who remained stuck in his vehicle for more than one hour on Murree Road. "The government should create a plan for comfortable mobility instead of leaving them marooned on roads all the day." Protest rallies should be strictly banned on main city roads like Mall Road, Murree Road and Raja Bazar as they only add traffic-related miseries.

Several motorists, who suffered the traffic jam, have appealed to the government to revisit its traffic plan for the city roads to provide relief to them. The system of acquiring a driving licencse needs to undergo an extensive level of transformation. Also, computerisation and improvement in the format of a driving test would be beneficial.

Though, various policies and plans were formulated and implemented by City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi, all issues still persist. Since the problem is mainly faced by the city’s residents they should also play an active role to address the issue and increase their level of involvement, coordination and commitment.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2018.