Ombudsman for plan of action to regulate capital’s traffic mess
A view of Islamabad city. PHOTO: FILE
Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi has issued directives to the authorities concerned to formulate an effective plan to regulate traffic issues in Islamabad where the road infrastructure is fast shrinking owing to an influx of traffic caused by a large-scale migration of people from other provinces.
Chairing a meeting on Tuesday, he urged the Islamabad chief commissioner, the police inspector-general, the federal secretary of communications and others for better coordination for the smooth flow of traffic.
The authorities highlighted various issues including the acute shortage of manpower facing the traffic police and the dearth of financial resources for revamping the road infrastructure. Various proposals and suggestions were discussed to work out a feasible plan of action focusing on short-term and long-term measures.
Capital Development Authority (CDA) member planning Waseem Bajwa said that some major roads were under construction but the civic agency was working aggressively to complete the road infrastructure within the stipulated time.
He said that metro buses had been launched on different routes to address traffic issues. Islamabad Police DIG Sohail Zafar Chattha said that the traffic system was initiated in Islamabad in 2006 with 656 wardens and at present, the strength has decreased to 606 officials, whereas the number of vehicles had increased disproportionally in the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2022.