Traffic gridlocks

Frequent traffic jams at Bhara Kahu Islamabad have become unbearably cumbersome and expensive, to say the least. Most of the time, it can take 30 to 40 minutes just to cross this 2km stretch. People form up to five lanes on the two-laned road, which can seriously exacerbate the situation.

The bottlenecks are at a narrow pedestrian bridge at Athaal Chowk because of a badly planned U-turn. This U-turn is wide enough for three vehicles, which leaves a narrow lane for this massive influx of traffic. The solution to this serious problem is the removal of the bridge at the roundabout, replacing it with a much cheaper pedestrian underpass. The underpass will be highly appreciated as most people cannot climb up the stairs. All U-turns should be abolished and replaced by a couple of roundabouts.

Asad A Khan

London