Rawalpindi roads test drivers’ skills

When I lived in the Saddar area, I used to think that once I had stepped out of my house on the snarled streets in Saddar, I could handle traffic anywhere. However, I have just experienced traffic on the old Airport Road, made signal-free sometime back, and let me tell you this: compared to old Airport Road even today, Saddar is child’s play.

“You can see anything on Rawalpindi roads, not just cars, trucks, and buses. I have seen such an array of vehicles - bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, vans, and carts. Now and then, you may also see a stray cow in the middle of the road. Nevertheless, most animals, thankfully, are smart enough to stay away from the madness,” says Naveed Hussain.

“Humans, on the other hand, aren’t just trying to travel down the road - many are actually trying to walk across it. This requires good reflexes and agility, for you never know where a vehicle will appear. Indeed, Pindiites would be guaranteed a gold medal if traffic dodging ever becomes an Olympic event.

“At the busiest times, it’s hard to find space between vehicles. What Lahorites call tailgating, Pindiites call good driving. If you leave the slightest gap between your car and the next, someone will try to squeeze into it. In addition, you had better put your foot on the brake; otherwise, you may run over the encroaching party, perhaps a cyclist transporting bags of groceries or a motorcyclist carrying his family of five,” says Hussain Nisar.

“If brakes are overworked, so are horns, warning everyone of a vehicle’s approach. The incessant beeping is the chief contributor to noise pollution, other than local politicians. Some drivers, worried about straining their fingers, have programmed their horns to blare every five minutes. That is why, if you ask your father for a wake-up call, he will smile and say, “Don’t worry. You will be up at dawn. It’s a great benefit of the city,” says Dildar Naqvi.

“What amazes me most about the city traffic is the apparent lack of concern for personal safety. Few motorcyclists wear helmets, few drivers wear seat belts. However, many motorists do have Suras hung up in their vehicles, so there’s at least some much-needed praying going on,” says Mumtaz Ali.

“The city drivers are so nice, sir. Kind and nice. Such polite people. I am also impressed with all the pavements here. Very smooth to drive on. So much space. And no one is sleeping on them,” says Talib Hussain.

Ali Rizvi says, “I like all the one-way streets because I have to worry only about oncoming traffic. No one is trying to get past me. Moreover, the pedestrians are so few here. I have to swerve around only six or seven times.”