CDA apathy: Encroachers occupy Aabpara pavements

Bus terminal has been occupied by roadside vendors.

ISLAMABAD: The Aabpara bus stand and the main market have been in the grip of encroachers as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has turned a deaf ear to the issue.

The Aabpara market is one of the busiest commercial centres of the federal capital and its bus terminal caters to several bus and wagon routes.

The encroachers have, however, occupied the market’s footpaths and the bus stand’s open space.

People visiting the market have to wrestle with encroachers while doing shopping and hanging around. The bus stand does not look different, where encroachers have set up permanent stalls and kiosks, making it difficult for commuters and passengers and even to vehicles to move hassle-free.

The bus terminal has been occupied by sugarcane juice sellers, handcart owners and people selling accessories of cellular phones.

While taking to Online, Masood Ahmed, Jabbar Mirza, Raja Wasim, Hina and other citizens said that encroachments at the bus stand have menacingly increased, causing nuisance for the passengers waiting for public transport before embarking on a journey. “If you complain about the encroachments, the encroachers misbehave with you,” Masood said adding that the encroachers also manhandle the people.

Wasim said that there was no waiting space or shade for the passengers and the garbage was all pervading at the bus stop. “It seems, the CDA’s sanitary staff has not groomed the bus stand for years as it is replete with garbage and trash,” he said adding that in scorching sun the area becomes almost unbearable due to the stench.

“It has become almost difficult to stand at the bus stop due to encroachments,” said Hina, a government servant.

Malik Jabbar, another citizen, said that the civic agency only maintains the up keep of posh areas at the cost of many areas including the Aabpara area.

When contacted, a CDA senior official, while requesting anonymity, admitted that the Aabpara bus stand and the main market gets less attention from the civic agency. He also admitted that the posh areas of the federal capital get much attention despite the fact that traders of the Aabpara market pay their taxes regularly. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2015.