Plan under way to avoid traffic rush at Murree Road

The district government is planning to construct an overhead superhighway from Marreer Chowk to Chandni Chowk to avoid traffic rush at Murree Road and Nespak has been asked to prepare a feasibility of this mega project, said Raja Javed Ikhlas, City District Nazim here on Monday.
"We are also considering other option of construction of underpasses at every square on Murree Raod. After looking into feasibility, government would decide one of them," Nazim said while talking to reporters.
Traffic congestion is a major problem of Rawalpindi and the government is taking appropriate measures to arrest this, he said. "We are constructing causeway on both sides of the Nullah Lai to ease traffic pressure on Murree Road and other busy roads of the city and surely we would overcome the problem."
He said the city government is also planning to introduce mini-buses on different routes of the city and many transport companies were asked to submit their reports and papers regarding this service. He said that in the past many routes were franchised to Varan, but this arrangement has failed to deliver and big buses were also a problem. "We will introduce mini-buses to facilitate people besides reduce traffic pressure," he added.
He said that parking is also a severe problem of the city and it is adding to the traffic mess in different areas. "I have asked the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to take appropriate measures to address this problem. We are looking to construct parking plazas at different places where motorists and shopkeepers would park their vehicles," he said.
To a question about the situation prevailing in different bus terminals in the district, he said that government will take over bus terminals and it would be made sure to renovate these terminals and reconstruct the roads. "We would take initiative from Pirwadhai bus terminal and equip it with all modern facilities", he added.
Talking on Rs 5.142 billion, Rawalpindi Environment Improvement Project (REIP), he said that government has signed loan agreement with ADB for implementation on this project. "It is a mega project and would change scenario of the city. It would help reduce environmental problems and provide pure drinking water to people", he added.
City district Nazim said that 70 percent of the project would be financed by ADB in the shape of soft loan while 30 percent would be shouldered by provincial government. "Besides approval from CDWP, President Musharraf has shown keen interest on this project and its results", he added.
Under this project filtration plants would be installed in all union councils of city and lying down of sewerage line in the city, besides separation of water supply line from sewerage line. He said that green belt would be established besides construction of causeway on both sides of the Nullah Lai to maintain environmental equilibrium and decrease traffic pressure on busy roads of the city. It will also help in arresting the encroachment in the city. He said that treatment plant would be installed at Adiala Road where after recycling, wastage of the city would be converted into fertiliser. Government, he said is also working on solid waste management and it would be shifted to outside city on any safe place.