Arterial chaos: Raucous Rawalpindi roads, everyday
RDA clueless on how to manage traffic on Benazir Bhutto Road, closes major intersections.
Motorcyclists crossing over a divider, putting the lives of pedestrians and drivers at risk. PHOTO: EXPRESS
RAWALPINDI:
The main artery running through the middle of the city that is a lifeline for thousands of public and privately-owned vehicles, either within town or entering Islamabad, is under tremendous pressure from the ever-increasing number of two and four-wheeled vehicles.
The Rawalpindi District Authority (RDA) is apparently short on ideas on how to manage the load while ensuring safety for life and limb of commuters and pedestrians.
Widening of roads is not an option. Already stretched to the limit, they have resorted to closing major intersections and U-turns along Benazir Bhutto Road better known as Murree Road.
Accidents — major and minor — are a daily occurrence. Children, women and the elderly are the worst affected as they have to take long walk to find either an opening on the divider or overhead bridge to cross. Around half a dozen pedestrian bridges erected along the length of the road are not enough for a bustling population that lives astride the road.
Numerous speeding vehicles, motorbikes and pedestrians give the road a look of a maze posing a great threat to whoever happens to be on and around it.
Owing to the closure of intersections and U-turns, motorcyclists are seen jumping the divider. “I agree crossing footpath is dangerous. This is not a civilized way. This is a sheer violation of law. But it is difficult to follow rules when the government closes the roads without arranging alternative routes,” said, Namat Ullah, a motorcyclist who jumped the divider to take a turn near Marrir bridge.
Recently, the city district government in order to smooth the flow of traffic has closed three main intersections at Shamasabad, Moti Mehal and Marrir Hassan. However, with no overhead bridge from Moti Mahal to Marrir Hassan, hundreds of people including schoolchildren face difficulty crossing.
“We are in the habit of taking emergency steps once a tragic incident happens. If the closure of intersections is necessary, overhead bridges should be constructed to facilitate pedestrians,” said Ali Raza, a student.
Raza, who said it took ten minutes to cross the Moti Mahal intersection due to the amount of traffic, said that in the absence of overhead bridges, every time he crosses the road, he puts his life at risk. “Earlier, I could cross quite easily, but now it is an ordeal,” he added.
Some other residents criticized the government for closing intersections, saying the government should first erect an overhead bridge near Marrir before closing the intersection. Motorcyclists usually snake out of the available spaces but on finding no openings, they either jump the divider or hop on the footpaths, putting pedestrians at risk.
On the other hand, motorists also criticised the traffic police for not taking action against violators.
A traffic warden asking not be named said that traffic police is aware of traffic violations by motorcyclists. He said “with the closure of some U-turns, motorcyclists jumping footpaths is becoming common with each passing day, but the traffic police could not go after such a huge number of motorcyclists.”
When contacted, RDA Spokesperson Umar Farooq, said that he was not fully aware of this issue and said the engineering director would be a better person to contact. The engineering director could not be contacted till this story was filed.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2013.
The main artery running through the middle of the city that is a lifeline for thousands of public and privately-owned vehicles, either within town or entering Islamabad, is under tremendous pressure from the ever-increasing number of two and four-wheeled vehicles.
The Rawalpindi District Authority (RDA) is apparently short on ideas on how to manage the load while ensuring safety for life and limb of commuters and pedestrians.
Widening of roads is not an option. Already stretched to the limit, they have resorted to closing major intersections and U-turns along Benazir Bhutto Road better known as Murree Road.
Accidents — major and minor — are a daily occurrence. Children, women and the elderly are the worst affected as they have to take long walk to find either an opening on the divider or overhead bridge to cross. Around half a dozen pedestrian bridges erected along the length of the road are not enough for a bustling population that lives astride the road.
Numerous speeding vehicles, motorbikes and pedestrians give the road a look of a maze posing a great threat to whoever happens to be on and around it.
Owing to the closure of intersections and U-turns, motorcyclists are seen jumping the divider. “I agree crossing footpath is dangerous. This is not a civilized way. This is a sheer violation of law. But it is difficult to follow rules when the government closes the roads without arranging alternative routes,” said, Namat Ullah, a motorcyclist who jumped the divider to take a turn near Marrir bridge.
Recently, the city district government in order to smooth the flow of traffic has closed three main intersections at Shamasabad, Moti Mehal and Marrir Hassan. However, with no overhead bridge from Moti Mahal to Marrir Hassan, hundreds of people including schoolchildren face difficulty crossing.
“We are in the habit of taking emergency steps once a tragic incident happens. If the closure of intersections is necessary, overhead bridges should be constructed to facilitate pedestrians,” said Ali Raza, a student.
Raza, who said it took ten minutes to cross the Moti Mahal intersection due to the amount of traffic, said that in the absence of overhead bridges, every time he crosses the road, he puts his life at risk. “Earlier, I could cross quite easily, but now it is an ordeal,” he added.
Some other residents criticized the government for closing intersections, saying the government should first erect an overhead bridge near Marrir before closing the intersection. Motorcyclists usually snake out of the available spaces but on finding no openings, they either jump the divider or hop on the footpaths, putting pedestrians at risk.
On the other hand, motorists also criticised the traffic police for not taking action against violators.
A traffic warden asking not be named said that traffic police is aware of traffic violations by motorcyclists. He said “with the closure of some U-turns, motorcyclists jumping footpaths is becoming common with each passing day, but the traffic police could not go after such a huge number of motorcyclists.”
When contacted, RDA Spokesperson Umar Farooq, said that he was not fully aware of this issue and said the engineering director would be a better person to contact. The engineering director could not be contacted till this story was filed.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2013.