ISLAMABAD: The capital has been divided into five zones and 20 beats to implement traffic rules and ensure smooth flow of vehicles.

The traffic plan was finalised in a meeting, presided over by Director General Safe City Islamabad Authority Haroon Joya and attended by the Islamabad traffic police officers under the supervision of Chief of Islamabad Traffic Police Kainat Azhar Khan.

Police officers told Dawn that the meeting was called to make a deployment plan of the traffic staff, besides patrolling vehicles.

The traffic plan had been devised keeping in view traffic congestion in the capital seen during rush hours and also caused by construction work and points around police pickets.

After consultation and discussion with the ITP team, including chief Kainat Azhar Khan, DG Haroon Joya finalised the plan in which the capital was divided into five zones – City, Saddar, I-Area, Rural and Soan. A strength of 346 officials was deployed in the zones, who would work in three shifts.

The first shift has 180 ITP officials, 131 will be in second shift and 35 in the night shift.

The City Zone has five beats – Secretariat, Kohsar, Blue Area, Aabpara, and Faisal Avenue – and 106 ITP officials whereas the Saddar Zone has five beats – Margalla, G-9, Srinagar Highway, Shalimar and Iran Avenue – with 93 officials.

The I-Area has three beats – I-Area, IJP and Sabzi Mandi – and 64 officials, while Soan Zone has two beats – Koral and DHA – and 20 officials.

The patrolling fleet of the ITP was also strengthened by adding 40 sports utility vehicle-cross over electric vehicles. Five such vehicles will patrol in Aabpara, four in Margalla, three each in Red Zone, Kohsar, Faisal Avenue, and Club Road, two each in Blue Area, Shalimar,, Srinagar Highway, Iran Avenue, I-Area, Expressway and Koral and one each in G-9, I-8, Faqir Aipee Road, Bhara Kahu and DHA.

Likewise, 18 hatchback-Sedan vehicles will also patrol in the capital - three in IJP and Sabzi Mandi, two each in Srinagar Highway, Faisal Avenue and Expressway, Shahzad Town and Bhara Kahu, Koral and DHA, and one each in the city zone, and Soan zone. The remaining will do other duties.

Similarly, 13 SUV-double cabins have also been included in the ITP fleet. Three such vehicles will patrol in I.J. Principal Road, one each in Srinagar Highway, Iran Avenue and Lehtrar Road.

Besides, 37 motorcycles of ITP will also patrol in capital. Out of the total, nine will be deployed in the City Zone, eight in Saddar Zone, five in I-Area Zone and eight in rural and Soan zone. The remaining will be used for other duties.

The officers said traffic congestion was witnessed during the morning whenpeople traveled between Rawalpindi and Islamabad either to educational institutions or offices. Traffic congestion was also seen in the evening when people returned home from their offices.

Besides,thesame situationaroseafterthe closure ofeducational institutes in Islamabad. However, congestiontook placearound the institutes andtheiradjacent roads.

Traffic congestion also took place in and around markets,markazes, shopping centres and parks during festivals. Headsof state andVVIP delegations from other countries also visited Islamabad. Due tosecurityconcerns, areas androadswere closed. Besides,routeswere also put in place,resultingintraffic congestion. Picketsonmain roads, like Faisal Avenue and Iran Avenue, also caused trafficcongestion.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2026