RAWALPINDI: Traders and residents on Monday blocked Murree Road for two hours to protest slow pace of work on 6th Road to Faizabad section of metro bus project, leaving traffic suspended for two hours.

To disperse the protesters, the contractor of this section of the project first tried to disperse the protesters on his own by using his labour force and then called Sadiqabad police.

More than 200 traders and citizens gathered at Shamasabad and chanted slogans against the government and demanded that work on the project be accelerated.

“Speed up work on the project or stop it and fill the ditches,” was the slogan the protesters were chanting.

The protesters said the contractor had dug up ditches on the link road making it impassable.

They said rainwater had inundated the ditches creating problems for the people in crossing the road. Some had even fallen in the ditches.

The traders complained that they were suffering losses as customers were unable to visit their shops because of the ditches. Despite passing of several months, only 20 per cent of the work has been completed, they said.

Mohammad Ali, a trader at Shamsabad, said it seemed the government and the contractor were unable to undertake this project. “After almost six months only 20 per cent work has been completed,” he said.

Commissioner Rawalpindi and Project Director Zahid Saeed said work on Package-III was going on at a good pace. He said people would have to face some problems during the construction work.

He said after completion of work, they would enjoy better transport service in the area, adding that he had visited the three packages and reviewed the work which was being carried out as per plan.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd , 2014