GUJRANWALA, Dec 30: Eight railway crossings cause a great deal of inconvenience to people as they remain closed for over nine hours a day.

According to a survey by this correspondent on Thursday, as many 26 express and passengers trains (13-Up and 13-Down) pass through the crossings daily besides two goods trains.

These crossings are closed for 15 minutes, which sometimes exceeds half an hour, ahead of train arrival.

Almost all government offices, educational institutions and the DHQ Hospital are located across the railway track on the eastern side of the city while most of markets and shopping centers are on the western side.

The railway track has virtually divided the city into two parts. A number of people use the crossings daily leading to traffic jams, which are a common sight. It is quite a hassle even for pedestrians to cross the railway track.

The distance between all the crossings is said to be of one kilometer. Gentlemen manning the crossings perform their duties without having basic facilities.

Though an underpass near DC Road and an overhead bridge near Kutchery railway crossings have been built, there is no let-up in traffic load. Pedestrians and motorcyclists put their lives in danger by using different means to cross the track.

City circles have urged the railway authorities to do away with the old system of iron gates and adopt the latest technology to facilitate traffic on both sides of the crossings.