Smooth passage through Rawalpindi roads not available

The Rawalpindi roads are more generous to the hawkers but not so much to the commuters and pedestrians. The commuters wanting a smooth passage through these routes feel inconvenienced greatly. It is a daily phenomenon that vehicles belonging to commercial establishments and their customers block the road disrupting the easy movement of people.

“Business houses use the roads as a car parking lot. Big commercial establishments have all along been defiant in messing up areas with disorganized car parking. For example, Iqbal Road is more than just a transit road for vehicles that use it as a link road to move towards Raja Bazaar. Most hours of the day, it stays true to its character. It remains clogged,” says Atif Ali.

“Many businesses abuse this road. It is always crammed with bargain hunters, signboard stands, and merchandise of the rehri wallas. It is the most pedestrian-and-traffic-unfriendly road. People generally blame it on the haphazard parking of vehicles. Obviously, this does get in the way of traffic that enters from Committee Chowk towards Raja Bazaar and vice versa,” adds Atif.

“From Bohar Bazaar to Committee Chowk, you will find various kinds of vehicles parked on both sides. Even one-way traffic cannot move easily. Obviously, there will be jams on this two-way traffic road,” says Razi Haider, a shopkeeper.

“The road’s commercial nature makes it a free-for-all parking lot. Although the traffic jams are seen in the morning hours, it is not unusual to see them even in the evening,” says Shabbir, a grocery shop owner.

“Yesterday I wanted to go to Bohar Bazaar to buy homeopathic medicine for my wife. Different kinds of vehicles line up on both sides of the road. I wanted to ride on public transport like Chingchi but seeing the traffic jam I decided to walk on foot,” says Jafar Hussain.

“The traffic police’s apathy has aggravated the problem. We cannot manage to arrive at our destinations on time. The problem is getting severe. The blockage is especially severe when there is a vehicle coming out of a side street. Given the road’s importance, it is crucial that the menace of haphazard parking be checked,” says Nadeem Hasan.

“The nature of businesses done here and the manner in which they are done are hindering traffic movement. You cannot imagine how hard it is to do something as simple as going out to the shops and then trying to find an exit space on your return. It is usually impossible,” says Mohib Ali.

It can be as late as 11 pm until the road is clear and then it fills up again from 9 am onwards. It is a bustling market area. Naturally, there will be congestion,” says Mubashar Hasan in a straightforward way, who uses part of the road for advertising his wares.