HARIPUR: People here have criticised the local authorities of Pakistan Railways for blocking access routes to several localities across the railway track.

They said that the railway authorities on Wednesday fenced its area on the Khanpur roadside due to which the access routes, right from the building of Haripur Railway Station to Central Jail Bridge, were blocked, denying passage to the residents of Mohallah Railway Station (across the track), Talokar Town, Soka, Roshanabad, Rajaabad and some other localities.

The residents have been using the route since creation of Pakistan and the decision has made it difficult for them to access the Railway Road directly from their localities for reaching Haripur city or Central Jail bazaar and other areas.

Several localities affected by fencing along Khanpur road

“Being the residents of neighbourhood we enjoy the right of using the railway’s land for reaching our homes as the land was lying unused for last over 100 years,” said Banaras, one of the residents.

He said that local PR officials first barred vehicles from picking and dropping passengers near the railway track and now completely blocked the access routes for pedestrians, creating problems for the people, especially schoolchildren.

Basheer Ahmed, a local councillor, said that shifting of patients to hospitals or sending schoolchildren through narrow Soka Road would cause delays besides exposing them to multiple risks.

He said that the authorities should allow a level crossing for the residents or a passage for accessing their homes and city areas.

Advocate Tehsinullah Khan termed it an uncalled for decision and threatened to move court against it.

When contacted, in-charge of railways land in Haripur, Mr Ajmal, said that the fencing was done on the verbal orders from divisional superintendent Pakistan Railways, Rawalpindi, Munawar Hussain Shah.

He said that the decision was taken to block the access of vehicular traffic near the railway track and then plant trees as part of Green Pakistan project.

Answering a question, he said that residents of localities across the railway station would be allowed to use the same way that the railway passengers used to and from the station.

Some affected residents also called on him with a request to leave a pedestrian passage for them near the endpoint of platform, but he refused, advising them to contact the divisional superintendent in this regard.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2019