Traffic mess: For new passport office, railways comes to the rescue

Department will auction 6.5 kanals near office for conversion into parking lot.

RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan Railways will auction 6.5 kanals near the new Regional Passport office for conversion into a parking lot to help resolve the traffic mess outside the office.

Massive traffic jams had become a routine matter after the regional passport office was inaugurated as most people would park on either side of the road, leaving other commuters stuck for hours navigating through the limited free space.

The traffic police also deployed a traffic warden there to ensure smooth flow of traffic, but the problem could not be resolved as visitors would say there is no other place available to park.

The long queues of applicants and people accompanying them further slowed down traffic flow and added to the jam.

Arguments between local shopkeepers and traffic wardens have become commonplace, with the auto mechanics who have shops across the office complaining that their businesses had come to a standstill because of the traffic mess.

“My business was brought to a complete halt as traffic wardens would not allow customers to park outside my shop,” said Muhammad Azeem, a mechanic.

He was hopeful that the parking area would help reduce the rush on the road.

“People accompanying the applicants are not allowed to enter the office to avoid a rush inside. They just wait on the road and cause further traffic problems,” said Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police (SSP) Ishtiaq Shah.

To solve the problem, the SSP had asked Railways Rawalpindi Divisional Superintendent (DS) Munawar Shah to help.

The two Shahs visited the area and observed the chaotic scenes, after which the DS said he would see if his bosses would allow the land to be turned into a parking area, which they later did.

The Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police  said that the 6.5 kanal plot will be levelled within the next three days and turned into a parking lot for passport applicants.

Giving further details, DS Shah confirmed that the land will be auctioned to a contractor and the revenue generated will go to Railways. He said the parking fee will be “reasonable”.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2014.