The Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation (RMC) will construct 13 parking plazas in the city to overcome traffic problems and security issues that are occurring because of illegal parking on the roadside.
The busiest roads of the city are also among the most disturbed ones in terms of smooth traffic flow. Business activities on Murree Road, Syedpur Road, Saddar City Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Ghazni Road, Pirudhai Road, College Road, Iqbal Road, Liaquat Road, Ganjmandi Road, Sadiqabad Road, and Chaklala Road are mostly at a standstill during rush hours because of constant traffic jam. As a result, there is no space for pedestrians and security lapses have been observed.
Besides, the vehicles stuck in traffic jams emit smoke which has increased air pollution, while the car horns and traffic noise create a chaotic situation for citizens. Many drivers irritated by the congestion become violent and get into fistfights.
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The prime reason for this situation is the lack of parking plazas in the city which has led to traffic congestion and illegal parking giving rise to a parking mafia benefitting from the chaos.
The city at present has one parking plaza at Fawara Chowk which was constructed 10 years ago by Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA). The RDA was to construct two additional floors on this plaza which has not been done. The ground and first floors of the plaza are being used for parking while a shelter has been set up in its basement.
RMC has completed a study for three parking plazas which will be constructed on Saddar City Road, Bani Market, and Commercial Market. The study has been sent to the Punjab government for the project to be executed on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2021.
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