RAWALPINDI, Oct 27: In order to ease traffic congestion on Benazir Bhutto Road, the traffic police have closed level crossing at the Marir and Liaquat Bagh intersections.

However, they could not realise the fact that their efforts would remain unproductive unless the construction work around Marir Chowk is completed.

Due to the slow construction of the railway bridge at the busy intersection, traffic gridlocks in the area have become a routine.

In the second phase, the police plan to close intersections at Kohati Bazaar and old Naz Cinema to keep the busy road clear for traffic.

At the Marir Chowk, the level crossing was closed by placing concrete blocks. The traffic coming from Katchery Chowk has been diverted towards Saddar and then to take a U-turn to move to Islamabad.

Similarly, the traffic coming from Aariya Mohallah is restricted from crossing Benazir Bhutto Road and diverted to Rialto Chowk to take a U-turn there.

City Traffic Police Chief Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Shah expressed the hope that the traffic situation would further improve with the closure of the level crossings at Kohati Bazaar and old Naz Cinema.

It may be recalled that a similar ‘futile exercise’ to close Kohati Bazaar and old Naz Cinema intersections was also carried out a few years back.

However, after a strong reaction from the local leaders of Pakistan Muslim League and traders, the crossing was reopened.

When the CTO was asked whether he had brought the dilapidated condition of the Marir Chowk into the notice of the city mangers, he said: “I have on a number of occasions informed the authorities about the poor conditions of roads but to no avail.”

However, he pledged to continue his efforts to ensure smooth flow of traffic on Benazir Bhutto Road.

He said he had been receiving encouraging remarks from the citizens on the closure of level crossing at Marir Chowk.

But the citizens, he added, were also demanding that work on the railway bridge should be completed on a priority basis.

“People don’t know that the traffic police are only to regulate traffic not to repair the damaged roads and complete the construction projects,” the CTO said: “However, I have sympathies with the citizens.”