Nowadays almost the entire city of Islamabad has been turned upside down. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is busy in widening roads and constructing under-passes and over-head bridges. Tall, old but beautiful green trees are being chopped down and the green belts have either been narrowed down or in most of the cases they have disappeared altogether.
So much so that even the playgrounds have not been left alone and the grassy grounds have been made to give way to the metalled roads. The dust keeps flying right from early dawn to late night wherever the construction works is in progress. This type of a situation is a great health risk to the policemen posted at the traffic signals, commuters and above all the school going small children.
This all is being done to provide enough space to the ever-increasing vehicular traffic in the capital city of Islamabad. But the question arises that would all these efforts be sufficient enough to bring the traffic problems of Islamabad under control? No, certainly not.
As long as the new cars continue to come on the roads all sorts of remedial measures are doomed to fail. One of the best ways to cope with a situation like this would be that our state must start a good public transport system at its own level forthwith.
Secondly, the State Bank of Pakistan must regulate the otherwise lenient auto policies of the commercial banks and of leasing corporations. At present almost every individual earning Rs 10000/- and above is entitled to own a car with the help of a financial institution without offering any tangible security.
That is why a good number of them turn defaulters within one year of the borrowing and thus the money of the depositors is put at stake. This practice needs to be checked and closely monitored by the SBP.
However, if the state solves the conveyance problem of the general public and provides them with efficient, affordable and a comfortable mode of transport it will help not only control the chaotic traffic but also lessen the air and noise pollution in the capital. Otherwise even more roads will not prove to be enough to accommodate the heavy vehicular traffic in this once beautiful city.