JHANG City News

Traffic diversion creates problems for people in Jhang
From Our Correspondent
JHANG: The district administration, after failing to stop local transporters from parking wagons and buses on roads, has ordered diverting all kind of traffic to the City Road where DCO House and public parks are situated.
An order issued by the DCO office has banned trailers, buses and other kinds of vehicles coming from Multan, Bhakkar, Layyah and other cities of lower Punjab, from passing through Ayub Chowk. Traffic has been diverted from Sessions Chowk point at the highway towards City Road.
The diversion has created a dangerous situation for the residents and visitors of bazaars.
Sources said DCO Nadir Chattha, taking notice of public complaints about traffic jams near Ayub Chowk, had ordered the DRTA secretary and DSP traffic to start crackdown on illegal wagons and bus stands that were being operated on roads. The roadside bus parking was a main reason behind traffic jams in the area.
Traffic DSP Ijaz Masood, who is now an OSD, had informed the higher authorities in its report that traffic jam problem near Ayub Chowk could not be solved permanently till action is not taken against local transporters running illegal wagon and bus stands. The DSP suggested that the illegal stands should immediately be shifted to the General Bus Stand, which has the capacity to accommodate all vehicles. Sources said both major wagon and bus stands are owned by a former federal minister and a senior bureaucrat of DMG group. Therefore, the DSP was made an OSD.
The DRTA secretary also showed reluctance to start legal action and prosecution to shift the wagon and bus stands from Ayub Chowk to the bus stand.
The DCO, to resolve the issue, ordered the DRTA secretary and DSP traffic to divert all kinds of traffic towards DCO House City Road. However, the decision has created problems for the public.
Sources said the City Road could not bear the load of heavy traffic and cracks have appeared in the road which was recently constructed.
The DRTA secretary refused to comment on the issue saying he had only implemented the orders of the DCO, who is also the DRTA chairman.
The area people have demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the IGP to take notice of the issue and resolve it immediately.