Weighing stations proposed for Ring Road

Crackdown against pushcarts initiated in provincial capital.

PESHAWAR: Traffic police in the city have proposed two weighing stations for Ring Road to prevent overloaded trucks from damaging the recently-renovated thoroughfare.

A request has been sent to the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) and DC for approval and practical implementation.

“Previously, the road was badly damaged by overloaded trucks which used the route to commute to and from Afghanistan,” DSP Headquarters Traffic Asghar Marwat told The Express Tribune. “The vehicles did not invite much attention then, but we do not want to repeat the mistake this time and have asked the DC and PDA to take strong measures.”

Marwat added Ring Road is crucial for the free flow of traffic in the city and people would face great difficulty in commuting if it is damaged. Hence, installation of weighing stations has been recommended: one near Pir Zakori flyover and the other near the Motorway. A letter of recommendation has been sent and its response is awaited, said Marwat.

Out with the pushcarts

“Our crackdown against pushcarts is also under way in the city with the help of the municipal corporation and 150 have been seized so far,” said Marwat, adding the provincial government decided in a meeting that they would establish a Bachat Bazaar at Gur Mandi. Pushcarts will only be allowed at Gur Mandi and nowhere else in the city as they cause traffic jams inside the walled city, he said.

Marwat added there are around 1,200 pushcarts in the city, of which only 150 have permits.

He said the Bachat Bazaar would allow these vendors to earn a respectable living without being harassed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2015.