The residents of double road and adjoining areas on Sunday urged the administration of Rawal Town to extend the ongoing anti-encroachment operation along Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium road as encroachers have made smooth traffic flow impossible there.
Talking to APP, the commuters daily visiting Islamabad from double road Sunday said the spacious double road (Stadium road) has been turned into a virtual one-lane road mostly by workshop owners and others.
Long queues of vehicles are witnessed at double road especially at the morning and evening times as office-goers and students studying in educational institutions of Islamabad use 9th avenue, the signal free but entering the avenue from double road side is an uphill task due to over stepping of shopkeepers, workshop owners and hotels situated at double road right from Sangam Marriage hall to double road crossing at IJP road.
A vehicle normally covers the distance from Peshawar Morr to double road crossing within a five to seven minutes period. However the real test starts soon after entering Rawalpindi from (I-8) 9th avenue - as encroachments, traffic jams, dust witnessed everywhere at double road - crying the apathy of Tehsil Municipal Authorities. Near Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium a half of double road is turned into a parking lot by the management of a shopping plaza as well as PTCL building. Leaving little space for motorists to pass through.
Moreover, a U-turn in front of Nawaz Sharif parks rear gate has been closed forcing motorists, bikers coming from Christian colony to go towards Murree road through wrong way thus inviting accidents. The locals have urged the TMA authorities to launch an anti-encroachment to save the precious time and fuel of the commuters.