PESHAWAR, May 16: Diversions of mini-buses from main roads to service roads in various parts of the city have been causing inconvenience to the commuters in reaching their destinations on time.

The diversions have also caused problems for the shops located along these roads, besides making it difficult for the commuters to reach their destinations in various parts of the city on time, a traffic inspector said, while talking to Dawn here on Thursday.

He said the main roads were extremely congested with traffic due to the increasing number of vehicles — both registered and unregistered.

According to the drivers of mini-buses, they have been directed by the traffic police to divert to service roads at various places, where the traffic is congested.

Many shopkeepers have told Dawn that they have been facing difficulties due to the dusty environment caused by the diversions. Confectioners and the owners of fast food chains are the most affected people, as consumers can not park their vehicles in front of the shops due to heavy traffic on the service roads.

“We have lodged several complaints with the authorities, but in vain. Our businesses have suffered to a great extent, but we are helpless,” said a depressed shopkeeper, who sells sweets along Arbab Road. He added that the diversion had hit his business, as few people bought sweets from his shop.

The mini-buses, which run between the Karkhano Market and the Hayatabad Township and the general bus-stand, are being diverted to service roads near Spin Jamaat (mosque), University Town, Arbab Road and at many places on GT Road. While returning from the general bus-stand, the buses are again diverted to service roads on GT Road, Arbab Road, University Road and near the board stop.

The drivers say that owing to the diversion, it took them one-and-a-half hours to cover the distance (from the Karkhano Market to the bus-stand), which they previously covered in 45 minutes.

“It is ridiculous on the part of the traffic people because they are causing inconvenience to the poor commuters in their bid to facilitate the smooth flow of private cars,” a commuter said, adding that the traffic police facilitated the “VIP” vehicles, while the poor had been left at the mercy of bus drivers.

Many other passengers also complained that the diversion, particularly at a time when they were experiencing an acute heatwave, was causing great hardships to them.

The situation becomes even murkier when the schools are closed past mid-day. Most students, who use these mini-buses to reach their homes, are also at the receiving end. After the tiresome day at the schools, the hungry children have to face more hardships in the wake of unnecessary and painfully longer stopovers by the buses.

“These buses move at snail’s pace, which delays us for almost 30 to 40 minutes. Parents wait for us at homes very anxiously,” University Public School’s said, while talking to Dawn.

However, traffic SP informed Dawn that the slow-moving vehicles, including mini-buses and hand and donkey-carts, had been diverted to service roads two weeks ago to make the traffic flow smooth. He said the decision had been taken on experimental basis to see if the service roads could be used for reducing the traffic congestion.