Non-motorised transport plan for Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Master Plan Commission will approve a smart traffic management by introducing non-motorised transport to the capital.

A meeting of the Islamabad Mastar Plan Commission held Friday with Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Amer Ali Ahmed in the chair decided that a special assistant to the prime minister for CDA affairs would be a permanent member of the commission from now on. The meeting was informed that under the smart traffic management system, non-motorized transport would be promoted in the city. Under this plan, cycling lanes would be provided along all the highways to make Islamabad a cycling and pedestrian-friendly city. Walkways will be completed and crossings along highways will be marked in addition to elimination of encroachments from roadsides.

In addition to ensuring installation of road furniture on all roads, places will be marked on all highways for road signs for pedestrians. A consultant for smart traffic management system is also being engaged under PC-2. It was also informed that the use of carpool and public transport service would be promoted under the smart traffic management system. In this connection congestion charges would also be charged. The meeting was further informed that parking plazas would be constructed at six different locations in Islamabad to eliminate parking issues from the city. In this context, two parking plazas will be constructed in Blue Area while four will be built in F-8 Markaz, F-10 Markaz, G-9 Markaz and I-8 Markaz areas for which sites have been allotted.

Construction of one parking plaza in Blue Area has started while construction of the remaining five parking plazas will be started soon. After the construction of these parking plazas, roadside parking will be discouraged and fines will be imposed.

In addition, parking areas in the city will be allocated to further improve the parking system. In this regard, parking zones and parking policy will be formulated. In addition, an efficient parking system and culture will be promoted in Islamabad.

Briefing the commission, it was informed that under the mass transit system, the metro bus service to the new Islamabad International Airport will be made operational by March 23. It was also informed that work on Islamabad bus service has also been started. The traffic management system will be finalised after the experts’ feedback.