Murree open to tourists on Eidul Fitr
Businesses reopened after the main roads of Murree were cleared of snow. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The Rawalpindi district administration has opened Murree for bulk tourists on the occasion of Eidul Fitr and also removed a ban on the entry of 8,000 vehicle into the tourist resort in a single day.
Tourists will venture into the hill station under strict SOPs and travel advisory issued by the local administration. In Murree, seven important highways have been converted into single-way.
Following the Murree tragedy, the Punjab government and the Rawalpindi district administration had banned the entry of 8,000 cars in a single day to ensure the safety of tourists.
Traffic officials told The Express Tribune that the ban on the entry of 8,000 vehicles has been lifted which was imposed following the tragedy in Murree.
The ban on the entry of 8000 touristvehicles had inconvenienced travellers and badly harmed Murree’s tourism sector.
According to traffic police officials, overcrowding caused most of the damage during the Murree tragedy. Highways were slippery due to snowfall, vehicles were stuck at Murree's entrances and exits, tourists could not reach safe areas, and precious lives were lost.
Officials said that under the current weather conditions, there was no chance of snowfall and more parking lots have also been arranged in Murree to facilitate the tourists.
They said that tourism police personnel will remain alert only to facilitate tourists in case of emergencies.
Officials said that vehicles entering Murree would be monitored by traffic officers stationed in Murree and adjacent areas and by national highways staff and the district administration will be notified in case of an emergency. The Rawalpindi district administration has issued a 10-point travel advisory for tourists visiting Murree during Eidul Fitr.
Tourists have been advised to keep their vehicles in single lanes and avoid overtaking. under any circumstances and ovid parking vehicles on the road. Traffic flow is disrupted when a car is parked on the road, causing raffic snarl-ups.
The traffic officials said that tourists should avoid taking pictures on the main highway while all automobiles and motorbikes will be restricted on Mall Road.
The local administration said that seven major roadways in the city have been converted into single lane.
According to a district administration spokesman, the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner has urged the tourists to observe traffic rules on the roads of Murree to avoid traffic mess and any untoward incident during Eidul Fitr holidays.
He said that there would be a complete ban on illegal parking on the roads in Murree particularly at exit and entry points besides restriction on cooking at the roadside. The spokesman said that single, double parking would not be allowed on roads except designated parking places. The motorcyclists without safety helmets would not be allowed to enter Murree, he said.
Several roads including Bank road, GPO Chowk to Kashmir Point, Hall road, Lalazar to Kashmir Point, View Fourth road, View Fourth road to GPO Chowk, Guldana road, GPO Chowk to Guldana Chowk, Dilkusha road, Imtiaz Shaheed road to Lari Adda via Dilkusha hotel, Cecil Road, Imtiaz Shaheed Road to Cart road via Cecil Apartments, and Pindi Point would be one-way roads, he said.
The spokesperson said that a main control room had been set up at Jinnah Hall in Unit office Murree, District Council, Municipal Committee Murree which could be contacted at 051-9269015-16-18 besides the highway control room 051-9269189 and Traffic Police control room 051-9269200.
He urged the tourists to cooperate with traffic police so that the traffic mess could be avoided. The motorists should avoid wrong parking on roads which would help ensure the smooth flow of traffic, he said. “The beautiful climate of Murree during summer attracts a large number of tourists so motorists face severe traffic congestion,” he said adding that traffic moves even slower due to heavy traffic load. He said that the DC has advised the tourists to avoid wrong parking, double lines, speeding and taking selfies in the middle of the roads.
The spokesman said that foolproof security would be provided to the tourists in Murree particularly during Eidul Fitr holidays.
He said that the holidays of all the departments concerned including Murree administration had been cancelled to make the arrangements foolproof. Special plan had also been formulated for Murree under which 860 personnel including 500 cops and 360 CTP officials will perform their duties to facilitate the visitors, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2022.