RAWALPINDI: Just six months after the Metro Bus Project was inaugurated, the newly-constructed Murree Road has started developing cracks and even potholes, exposing the substandard material used in its construction.

Despite spending billions on the re-carpeting of Murree Road and on the construction of an elevated road, the condition of the thoroughfare has not improved and open manholes can be seen along Murree Road, from Saddar to Marrir Chowk.

Mohammad Safdar, who lives on Saadi Road, said the open manholes can cause accidents. “You can’t walk on the recently constructed footpaths at night because you don’t know when you will step into a gaping manhole.”

PTI Punjab’s former general secretary Zahid Kazmi told Dawn the PTI will be taking up the issue in the provincial assembly soon.

He said: “You can see the poor quality of construction on Murree Road and the potholes already appearing in the road. The footpaths are also breaking up. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will have to explain wasting of public’s money.”

PPP Rawalpindi President Amir Fida Paracha said the provincial government spent Rs43 billion on unnecessary projects and that the money spent on the Metro Bus Project should have been used to improve water and sanitation in the city.

He said the Metro Bus Project was only started to gain popularity and that the PML-N had wanted to complete the project before the local government elections and had used substandard material for the construction of roads.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed told Dawn the contractors still had some work to do on Murree Road, from Saddar to Faizabad, and that the final phase of work on the road will start at the end of November after completing work on the Command and Control Centre of the Metro Bus Project, Moti Mehal Bridge and the underpass on Murree Road.

He said the Rawalpindi Development Authority will release the remaining payment to the contractor after the completion of some minor works. The commissioner added that he had talked to the contractors about the work that still needed to be done.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015