SWAT: Severe traffic congestion on various roads of Mingora has turned daily commuting into an ordeal for thousands of residents, with students, patients, traders and ordinary commuters suffering the most due to the prolonged gridlocks.

For the past several months, major routes connecting Mingora to Saidu Sharif as well as the roads from Kabal, Matta, Khwazakhela and Barikot to Mingora have remained clogged from early morning until late evening, causing widespread inconvenience and anxiety among the public. Students are among the worst affected as in the morning transporting children to schools has become almost unbearable.

Many children reach school late every day, while exhausted parents complain that the return journey in the afternoon has become equally difficult. “I often reach school after the first period because traffic doesn’t move at all,” said Hamza, a 9th-grade student. His classmate Ayesha also described the same experience, saying they spend nearly an hour stuck on the road before finally getting home. Both students said the prolonged traffic delays are disrupting their studies and daily routine.

Patients travelling to Saidu Sharif’s major hospitals, which cater to thousands of people from across Swat and neighbouring districts, face even more distressing circumstances. Muhammad Rafiq, who brought his mother from Khwazakhela for treatment, said they were stuck for 45 minutes at Green Chowk. Other attendants shared that even ambulances often struggle to find a clear passage, causing fear and panic among families accompanying critical patients. “Every minute matters when someone is sick, but people stand helpless in view of such a traffic,” said Shazia, who had travelled from Shangla.

The congestion is also affecting litigants, lawyers and visitors heading to the district courts in Saidu Sharif. Advocate Ziauddin said he missed a scheduled court hearing due to the gridlock and added that such delays were becoming increasingly common.

Transporters and traders have voiced similar concerns, citing fuel wastage, delayed deliveries and disruption to business operations. Many drivers say they spend hours navigating bottlenecks that could be cleared with better management.

Amid rising public complaints, the district administration has initiated steps to address the worsening situation. A meeting chaired by the assistant commissioner headquarters, Arham Mukhtar, was recently held at the deputy commissioner’s office, where officials from traffic police, excise and taxation, the Regional Transport Authority and the tehsil municipal administration reviewed the problem in detail.

During the meeting, officials observed that encroachments have become a major cause of traffic jams. Footpaths have been occupied, shopkeepers have extended their displays onto the road, handcarts and pushcarts block lanes, illegal parking has increased, and unregistered rickshaws and unauthorised transport stands add to the chaos.

The administration agreed that a coordinated and comprehensive operation was urgently required to restore smooth traffic flow.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2025