Pindi’s traffic mess: Encroachments, unplanned commercialisation to blame

Chief traffic officer laments lack of town planning, town planners shift blame.

RAWALPINDI:

Encroachments and unplanned commercialisation along Rawalpindi’s main roads have been one of the major reasons for hurdles in the smooth flow of vehicular traffic.

Expressing his helplessness in a press conference, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Ishtiaq Shah declared that encroachments, coupled with private schools and plazas without on-site parking on Benazir Bhutto Road, Raja Bazaar and other major roads had been creating traffic flow problems.

The head of the city’s traffic wardens said that despite repeated verbal and written requests to the relevant city municipalities and cantonment board authorities for the removal of encroachments from roads, no permanent solution had been worked out.

In recent weeks, traffic has been even more of a mess on the busy Benazir Bhutto Road because of development work -- flyovers at Sixth Rod, Chandni Chowk and the extension of Marrir Chowk.

Long queues formed outside petrol and CNG stations and cars parked outside commercial plazas and private schools at peak hours further exacerbate traffic problems.

In response to a question, CTO Shah said his office had repeatedly raised the issue with concerned authorities to remove all hurdles and address the mushrooming of unauthorised car showrooms.

TMA says

When The Express Tribune later contacted Rawal Town Municipal Administrator Saif Anwar Jappa and asked questions relating to the CTO’s views, Jappa said there were no permanent encroachments on the roads falling in his areas.

However, he did say there were complaints about makeshift encroachments by hawkers and pushcarts on City Sadder Road and Liaqat Road leading to Raja Bazaar.

Criticising the traffic police, Jappa said there is a need to discourage and penalise the parking of vehicles on the roadside, which narrows the area available for traffic flow.

Who’s got the power?

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) had the authority to allow commercialisation of buildings in city areas and conversion of residential buildings into schools. The RDA also passes the maps for new plazas, supposedly after ensuring that parking facilities had been provided.

RDA Director General Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2013.