Road closure fears: Metro bus project - close one to build one

Traffic police want partial closure of Benazir Bhutto Road, lack manpower to operate alternate routes.

RAWALPINDI:

City traffic managers are losing sleep over the intended and imminent closure of the main artery for construction of the metro bus project.

The project is due to be inaugurated on February 28 and is expected to be completed in 11 months.

Earlier, the district administration had proposed sealing off the road for all traffic from Faizabad to Saddar.

During a meeting, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed had directed the Rawalpindi District Administration (RDA) to prepare an alternative traffic plan by diverging traffic to other adjoining roads.



Sources said that the traffic police have been opposing the idea of completely closing the road for a period of 11 months as it does not have enough personnel to man all the alternatives routes.

City Traffic Officer (CTO) Ishtiak Shah confirmed that his department was against the idea of complete closure of the road. He said that at least one lane of the road should remain functional.

“We are not in favour of complete closure of Murree Road and we are going to take up the issue with the Rawalpindi commissioner,” Shah added.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed is also the project director of the Rs34.08 billion project.

The provincial government will construct a 23.2 kilometre-long elevated road with 10 bus stations in Rawalpindi and 14 in Islamabad.

The route will start from Flashman’s Hotel on Mall Road to Pakistan Secretariat via Benazir Bhutto Road, IJ Principal Road, Ninth Avenue and Jinnah Avenue.

Sources said that in Wednesday’s meeting, which will be chaired by the Rawalpindi commissioner, officials from IESCO, PTCL, SNGPL and other relevant departments will also furnish reports seek budget allocations to prepare the route.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.