I REGULARLY commute between Rawalpindi and Islamabad during working days. I have noticed that during peak hours in the morning the roads are jammed because of the large number of commuters heading towards Islamabad.

In the afternoon after working hours, heavy traffic is observed on the roads leading to ’Pindi owing to people travelling back from Islamabad. The traffic police try to manage the traffic to the best of their abilities, but the number of vehicles on the roads is disproportionate to the size of the roads. I feel that the situation can be resolved through a simple solution.

Currently, the main highways and arteries — Islamabad Expressway, Murree Road, 7th Avenue, 9th Avenue, Margalla Road — have three to four lanes on either side of the divider for vehicles commuting to and from Islamabad. This requires some modification at peak hours.

For example, in the peak hours at morning, all lanes barring one or two can be used by vehicles heading to Islamabad, thus allowing the available roads to absorb more traffic. In the afternoon, more lanes can be used by the people heading to ’Pindi.

This practice is in vogue on I.I. Chundrigar Road in Karachi.

Muhammad Arif Zulqurnain Islamabad

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2018