Certain increase in encroachments and permission of parking on main roads by the civic bodies has caused lot of problems for the motorists as well as for pedestrians, as hour's long traffic jam on Bank Road, Kashmir Road, Haider Road and Gowalmandi in Cantonment area while in city on Murree Road, Rawal Road, Liaquat Road, City Saddar Road, Iqbal Road and other roads of Rawalpindi became a order of day now.
The permission of parking on main roads of the city including Murree Road, Liaquat Road, City Saddar Road, Bank Road, Haider Road, Kashmir Road and other adjacent roads, given by civic bodies has resulted in constant traffic jams in the city, particularly at peak hours.
Another menace in the city responsible for traffic jam is encroachments as shopkeepers and stall holders have not only captured footpaths even they increased their stalls on roads, which is main hurdle in smooth sailing of the traffic. While vendors selling their commodities on carts have also captured the roads and without any fear of administration they are busy in their business.
The district and town administration has kept its eyes close and has literally encouraged the encroachment mafia in the city. As like the district administration the traffic police also have kept its eyes close and in spite of imposing fine on drivers on violation of traffic rules they are busy in minting money at the cost of public life and time.
When asked a traffic cop about this situation, he said that district administration has kept its eyes close towards the encroachments then why he should be care about it. " If they remove the encroachments and withdraw the permission of parking on roads, we will clear this traffic mess", he added.
Muhammad Irfan a motorist living in Tench Bhatta and working in Islamabad said "it has became very difficult for me to reach office in time or come back home". He said that government should take stock of the worsening situation and make special traffic plan.
People have called upon district and Tehsil Nazim to withdraw the orders of the parking on main roads and initiate a campaign against the encroachment.