Rawalpindi roads are in a mess

Many businesses abuse Rawalpindi roads. They are always crammed with bargain hunters, signboard stands, and merchandise of the shops located on the roads. City roads are the most pedestrian-and-traffic-unfriendly roads. They need to be cleared to escape the chaos.

“The city roads are more generous to the hawker but not so much to the commuter. Perhaps, these are meant to be that way. The cars wanting a smooth passage through these routes face inconvenience,” says Sabir Hussain.

“People generally blame it on the haphazard parking of vehicles. Obviously, this does get in the way of traffic that enters from other cities towards Pindi and vice versa. Most goods suppliers that enter here stay here for quite a long time to unload the goods. Further away autos that linger around waiting for customers eat into the available little space,” says Sarwat Reza. “Many roads are more than just a transit road for vehicles that use them as a link road to move from many areas of the city towards various corners of the city. Most hours of the day, they stay true to their character. They remain clogged,” says Zamir Zaidi.

“On every road, you will find various kinds of vehicles parked on both sides. Even one-way traffic cannot move easily. Obviously, there will be jams on the two-way traffic roads,” says Naveed Hussain. Faiz Ali, a grocery shop owner in Commercial Market Satellite Town, says, “The road’s commercial nature makes it a free-for-all parking lot. Although the traffic jams are seen in the morning hours, it is not unusual to see them even in the evening.”

Ansar Hasan, a trader, says, “Even on the roads where there are no-parking signs, cars are lined up on both sides of the road. The traffic police’s apathy has aggravated the problem. This has affected us, as we cannot manage to arrive at our destinations on time. The problem is getting severe.”

Syed Anwer, a resident of Saidpur Road, says, “The nature of businesses done here and the manner in which they are done are hindering traffic movement. The blockage is especially severe when there is a vehicle coming out of a side street. Given the road importance, it is crucial that the menace of haphazard parking be checked.”

Places like Fawara Chowk, Raja Bazaar, Bani Market. Saddar Road, Bank Road, Adamjee Road, Hospital Road, Haider Road, Kashmir Road, Iqbal Road, Glass Factory and Shamsabad Road, Dingi Khoi, Dalgaran Bazaar, Liaquat Road. and many others have their roads converted into parking stands, with no one to check.

Raziq Ali says, “Footpaths are not spared by two-wheeler users. The lanes here are already narrow. On top of it, several autos parked in the lane cause huge difficulty for others to pass by. Trucks that load and unload products also create traffic jams.”