RAWALPINDI: Once a shopping hub, Saddar is losing its charm due to traffic jams ostensibly induced by the administration’s decision to turn Bank Road into a pedestrian zone and protracted construction work in the area.

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, however, is least bothered by this situation, according to traders, who complain the decision is hurting their businesses. Saddar comprises Haider Road, Bank Road, Kashmir Road, Adamjee Road, Cantonment General Hospital Road, Canning Road, and Cantonment Police Station Road – Bank Road passes through the heart of the commercial hub, and its closure has forced motorists to use other roads, leading to traffic jams.

This road is home to banks, offices, and several shops. Similarly, the closure of this road has made parking spaces in Ghakhar Plaza, City Mall, Rania Mall, and other plazas redundant since vehicles are not allowed to access the road. At present, there is only one parking lot, and that is on Haider Road, but it is not enough to meet the requirement.

Traders and visitors complained that the cantonment board decided to make the area a car-free zone without consulting the stakeholders or allocating alternate parking spots, as a significant number of vehicles used to be parked on Bank Road. Due to traffic congestion, it has become difficult to drive in Saddar, even for public transport operators, and cab drivers often refuse to go to the area because of this issue, compounding problems for the visitors.

Traders, visitors blame admin’s decision to turn Bank Road into pedestrian zone for mess

Talking to Dawn, they said the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board had been collecting taxes, but in return they had not been provided with any facility. “Will the government compensate us for the wastage of time and fuel due to poor traffic management on these roads,” asked Sarfraz Ahmed, a resident of Qasim Market.

He said that he came from Railway Station Road and reached Canning Road via Haider Road in 30 minutes while the travel time was not more than 8 to 10 minutes. He said that it was difficult for middle-class people to spend more money on fuel just to travel to Saddar.

Muhammad Khurram, a resident of Westridge, said travel in Saddar was time-consuming, and they had started to avoid the area for shopping and onwards travel to Raja Bazaar or Gawalmandi area.

Cantonment Traders Association Secretary General Zafar Qadri claimed that the RCB launched the project without proper consultations with traders and visitors. He claimed the plan was made behind closed doors without any survey of the area.

He said Bank Road had been turned into a walking area, and Adamjee Road was partially closed from Poonch House to Murree Road in front of KFC, adding that shopkeepers opined that the flow of customers had reduced over the last month.

He said that Rawalpindi Cantonment Traders Association President Sheikh Hafeez wrote a letter to the City Traffic Police to help traders for a smooth flow of traffic on Kashmir Road, Haider Road, The Mall, and Murree Road due to the closure of Bank Road from Murree Road to Cantonment Police Station Road.

However, he said, in a written reply to the letter, City Traffic Officer Beenish Fatima replied that there was no traffic congestion witnessed in Rawalpindi, especially in cantonment areas, and that they did not receive a single complaint in this regard.

He said that RCB officials had also turned a blind eye to the issue, and they refused to listen to their problems. RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Syed Ali Irfan Rizvi was not available to comment despite repeated attempts.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024