A nightmare for motorists and commuters

Islamabad
The Rs50 billion plus Metro Bus Project has turned into a nightmare for motorists and commuters of the twin cities, especially during last couple of months.
Those driving vehicles on Benazir Bhutto Road find the main artery choked at a number of points. Several sub-arteries are closed for traffic as work on the project is being carried out at a snail’s pace. It was never easy for driving ever since start of work on the project. However, lately, the administration and police look helpless in controlling and clearing the heavy traffic load.
It is not just motorists and commuters who suffer an ordeal every day. Practically, everyone living close to construction sites has been affected by frequent disruptions in electricity, gas and telephone networks. They are also exposed to dust rising from worksites.
What worries the population most is that contractors dump debris of the worksites into Nullah Leh. Nobody seems to realise the havoc it would cause when the monsoons hit, according to people living on the banks of Nullah Leh.
The service road, which provided some relief to motorists and commuters, has been occupied by construction machinery and dumps of debris and mud dug out of the road.
The trouble that the Metro Bus Service has caused to the business community is enormous. Shopkeepers along Benazir Bhutto Road have suffered losses in millions over last one year, but the government has not come up to their rescue or financial help.
Metro Bus Project Committee chairman and former MNA Hanif Abbasi has claimed that the project will be completed and opened for traffic by the end of March, while the ground realities negate his claim.
Talking to ‘The News’, Abbasi said “We have accelerated pace of work on both asphalt laying as well as construction of the ‘nullah’ on both sides of Benazir Bhutto Road and we will hopefully complete black topping of the road portion between Shamsabad and 6th Road soon.” “Believe me the project will be completed in March by all means,” adding that the delay was due to nature’s intervention as rains interrupted work for 12 days in February and first 8 days of March.
When he was asked about the blockade of 6th Road flyover from one side for traffic causing immense trouble for motorists as no alternative route has been allowed to them, Abbasi expressed his ignorance about people’s hardships and promised to do something about it. Traffic at this point remains choked for hours and the road leading to Shamsabad is closed from all points. As a result, most vehicles have to route either through I J Principal Road or have to take a long way on inner city roads.
The planners of Metro Bus Project had claimed at the time of its launch that it will invariably be completed within 10 months (starting March 23, 2014), but due to work on it going on at a snail’s pace its completion is not expected even in April.