RAWALPINDI: Despite tall claims made by the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to purge the city of encroachments and ensure smooth flow of traffic, visitors to Raja Bazaar still face troubles even walking in the area.

Traffic mess in the downtown area has become routine as stallholders and shopkeepers continue displaying their goods on footpaths and roadsides leaving no room for pedestrians and motorists.

During the rush hours, it takes a motorist over an hour to reach Raja Bazaar from Murree Road - hardly a distance of a kilometre.

Vendors and stallholders have occupied footpaths and roadsides leaving no room for motorists and pedestrians

Ambulances going to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital always get trapped in the traffic gridlocks and even the wardens cannot clear the way for vehicles carrying patients.

The shopkeepers and stallholders at City Saddar Road, Raja Bazaar, Bara Market, Iqbal Road, Mochi Bazaar etc., have encroached on footpaths and roadsides. At Iqbal Road and College Road cart pushers, stallholders and other vendors have left no space for the road users.

The RMC launched campaigns to remove encroachers from footpaths and roadsides but the vendors make a comeback a few days after every drive.

“Vendors and shopkeepers give bribe of Rs200 to Rs500 to the RMC officials concerned to allow them to install their stalls in the busy marketplace,” alleged Mohammad Rafiq, a shopkeeper Bara Bazaar.

“I usually come to my shop in the afternoon from Westridge-III and it takes an hour to reach here even on a motorcycle,” said Mohammad Tariq, a resident of Westridge.

“At night it takes me hardly 15 minutes to reach home from the market. In the morning, vendors encroach on the roads and there is no traffic police and RMC staff to check them,” he added.

Rawalpindi Traders Association President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha told Dawn that vendors were responsible for the traffic mess in the area due to which the citizens avoided visiting the bazaars putting a very negative impact on business activities.

When contacted, Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem said the RMC had been tasked to remove all encroachments within a month otherwise departmental action would be taken against the officials concerned.

“We have started action against encroachments at Bokra Road near Dhoke Hassu. I visited the place and found shops constructed on drains. I directed the RMC officials to demolish the shops within 15 days. Notices have been served on the illegal occupants,” he said.

“I have called a meeting of traders and the traffic police on Wednesday to solve the traffic issue in Raja Bazaar and clear Bara Market and other bazaars from cart pushers and vendors,” the mayor added.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2017