RAWALPINDI: Passengers have been advised to take alternative routes to the airport as the Benazir Bhutto International Airport Road will be closed to traffic from Dhoke Hafiz onwards due to re-carpeting work on Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said.

Alternate routes to the airport are Ammar Chowk, Rawal Road and Tipu Road.

“Passengers are requested to arrive at the airport before their designated flight timings in order to avoid inconveniences or delays,” a CAA spokesperson said.

Repair work on the road and three VIP movements caused long traffic jams on the city’s roads on Monday because of which thousands of commuters were inconvenienced.

Traffic congestion is already a big problem in the city and repair work on Airport Road, the dilapidated condition of other roods, poor traffic management and VIP movements add to the woes of commuters, who remain stuck in traffic jams for long periods.

“Driving on the city’s roads is a hassle. The traffic department and other relevant authorities should inform the general public if they know the situation is going to get bad,” a driver stuck in traffic at Katchury Chowk said.

Mohamad Obaid, a local who commutes daily between Chaklala Scheme III and Satellite Town, said being stuck in traffic is somewhat of a routine for him now.

“I think it is more stressful to be stuck in traffic when you have school going children in the car with you in the morning,” he said.

He said the traffic authorities seemed to be ‘incapable’ of ensuring the smooth flow of traffic and that if they could help it, people should refrain from travelling on Wednesday as Airport Road will be closed.

“Traffic on all the roads in the city is disturbed when one road is closed,” said a police senior official.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2016