Traders urge govt to repair dilapidated roads

MANSEHRA: The traders on Tuesday demanded the Communication and Works Department to repair the dialapided arteries which were causing traffic jams in the city and its suburbs.

“All roads in the city and its suburbs are in a dilapidated condition and broken pieces because of the Communication and Works Department’s apathy and traffic remains stuck the entire day,” Fayyaz Solehria, the chairman of the central traders’ body, told reporters here.

Abbottabad Road, Kashmir Road, Karakoram Highway inside the city and Shinkiari Road have been in a dilapidated condition since long and no steps were being taken to repair them.“The traders and motorists have been suffering the brunt of the shattered arteries as vehicles are being damaged and traffic remains stuck in peak hours,” Solehria said.

He said that funds meant for road rehabilitation and repair were not spent on repairing and blacktopping all damaged roads.Solehria said that the business community was paying different taxes to the government but despite all this issues faced by them were not being taken seriously by the departments concerned.

“Our cabinet had taken up this issue with the Communication and Works Department officials but to no avail,” he said.

A trader, Rab Nawaz Mughal, said the government should ensure an immediate blacktopping of the arteries.“We have been paying huge taxes to the government but it takes months or years to rebuild such facilities,” he added.