RAWALPINDI: Ambulances heading to two government hospitals, travelers heading to Benazir Bhutto International Airport, students and other commuters were stuck in traffic on Rawal Road and extra traffic wardens had to be deployed to resolve an issue that has been worsening in the garrison city day by day.

Traffic congestion on city roads is a common sight, but the problem has multiplied since the re-carpeting of Rawal Road and the expansion of the expressway began without any strategy in place.

“It is our daily routine to drive the wrong way down Rawal Road to rush to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC), because the right side lane is choked with traffic during the day,” said a member of Rescue 1122’s ambulance staff told Dawn.

He said it can be dangerous to get stuck in a traffic jam with patients on board and so they have no choice to drive the wrong way.

The Rawalpindi regional police officer (RPO) issued a directive on Tuesday to resolve traffic problems and gave the city traffic officer (CTO) a three day deadline to devise a new traffic plan.

On Wednesday, the City Traffic Police deployed 25 additional wardens and two fork lifters along Murree Road to ensure traffic flowed smoothly, as the road now bears more traffic since work began on Rawal Road and the expressway.

The wardens included two deputy superintendents of police, two inspectors and 21 wardens, while the fork lifters could be used to remove vehicles violating parking bans.

In his statement, the RPO had acknowledged that traffic in the city had worsened, and urged the concerned authorities to cooperate with the police in clearing roads of encroachments, as the traffic police is only to regulate traffic.

However, some have said the concerned authorities have not done any research into traffic problems and create a vision to resolve the issues.

“Deploying extra wardens and lifting vehicles has not been a permanent solution to the traffic mess. It needs vision and research, which is lacking,” said a senior citizen who was stuck in an ambulance on the way to BBH on Tuesday.

Chaklala Scheme III resident Obaid Azhar, who commutes to Satellite Town from his home every day said he opted to take the longer route via Murree Road due to the badly planned re-carpeting work on Rawal Road.

He said this took longer and was more expensive because it used up more fuel.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2016