Lacking facilities: Illegal parking clogs Saddar

Traffic wardens fail to manage area; RCB allocated plot on Haider Road

RAWALPINDI:

Illegal parking in Saddar, fuelled by the absence of a purpose-built parking facility, is testing the patience of residents and passengers alike.

Traffic gridlocks make covering even the shortest distance an uphill task, while city traffic police officials can only act as helpless observers.

Muhammad Shabbir, a taxi driver told The Express Tribune that following suit from shopkeepers and vendors, shoppers have also started parking their cars on the road. “The road can remain blocked for hours,” he complains, adding that some shop owners had taken over the area that was previously marked for parking by the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB).

The trouble further extends to the shop owners who find the traffic to be a nuisance and place the burden of blame on traffic wardens. “The situation is due to the irresponsible behaviour of wardens deputed in the area. It is their responsibility to fine every illegally-parked vehicle, but they are not fulfilling that responsibility,” insisted Sajid Khan, a shop owner.



Residents also have to put up with ceaseless traffic. Rafique Muhammad, a resident of the area, shares that he is forced to pass through Saddar on a daily basis to get to his own shop in Commercial Market and that the commute is extremely stressful due to the obstacle course of cars along the way.

Muhammad Yasir, a guard at a bank, said that traffic wardens did nothing to control the situation in the area, adding that private contractors charged commuters for parking and no one questions about the “extortionate” practice.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Saddar Cantt Trader Association President Zafar Qadri said there were no checks and balances on the wardens, adding that only 79 wardens had been deputed for the entire Cantt area, who were “underperforming”.

He urged that there was a need to increase the number of wardens and then keep an eye on the performance of these wardens. “Wagon drivers park near GPO Chowk, which causes major traffic jams, but wardens never try to stop them,” he remarked.

“I had visited the whole area with the Traffic DSP and he assured us the issue would be addressed, but the problem persists,” he said. “Our business is affected as people prefer to visit other places due to traffic gridlocks”.

He further said that RCB had allocated a plot on Haider Road for parking following complaints from local shopkeepers. He added that shopkeepers had arranged three on their own for parking their own vehicles near City Centre, Ghakhar Plaza and Rania Mall.

Rawalpindi City Traffic Officer (CTO) Shoaib Khurram Janbaz told The Express Tribune that he had deputed two DSPs in the area to address the situation and had also issued show-cause notices to one DSP due to the situation in the area. He cited the unavailability of a proper parking plaza as the main reason behind the gridlock. He also reasserted his determination to address the situation soon.

Cantonment Executive Officer Faheem Zafar was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2014.