ISLAMABAD: An audit conducted by the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has identified many problems with the traffic infrastructure of the federal capital, including faulty traffic signals, misleading signboards and dangerous U-turns due to a lack of fish bellies.

According to a source in the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the ITP submitted the audit report to Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz, who is also CDA chairman, on Friday.

The report which is available with Dawn, says that some two dozen traffic signals on some of the busiest roads in the city are out of order and need to be replaced immediately.

All five signals in the Shalimar area which are installed at the G-10 corner, Haideri Chowk, Kazmeen Chowk, E-11 Margalla Road and F-11 Markaz Chowk, are out of order and need to be repaired, the report says.

Audit points to faulty traffic signals, misleading signboards, dangerous U-turns, lack of parking space and encroachments on roads

It goes on to say that all six traffic signals in the I sectors, which are installed at the Al-Shifa Hospital Chowk, Education Chowk, 7up and Jawa chowks and one on a service road, are also out of order.

The audit report lists faulty traffic signals in Aabpara and adjoining areas, Lal Masjid Chowk and G-6 and GPO chowks, that the one installed in Melody Chowk is functional but needs a control panel while the signals in the main Aabpara Chowk needs cellular inviters.

According to the report, the timings of the traffic signals at the F-8 Exchange and PARC need to be synchronised while those installed in Tramri Chowk, Aabpara and on the Kashmir Highway are also dysfunctional.

The audit found that there are few fish belly U-turns in Islamabad and that motorists have to take sharp U-turns. It highlights the need for converting at least 13 of the U-turns into fish bellies in order to ensure smooth and safe traffic flow and the ITP also suggests closing at least 16 of the U-turns in the city.

The ITP has proposed the construction of zebra crossings at 37 points on various roads, including at the Radio Pakistan Chowk, near the Saudi Pak Tower, Aabpara, Melody and near Polyclinic. The report highlights the shortage of bus bays and proposes the establishment of over 30 bus bays at some of the busier bus stops.

“We submitted a comprehensive report to the CDA,” said SSP Traffic Malik Matloob, adding that the traffic infrastructure needs to be updated according to current requirements.

“The current infrastructure is very old, which is causing various traffic related problems including accidents,” he said.

The issue of parking

According to the report, parking in the city is one of the bigger traffic problems, especially around commercial areas including Blue Area, Jinnah Super, Super Market and various markazes. Most of the parking lots are under illegal occupation and the CDA’s directorate for market and road maintenance recently identified 806 encroachments in various areas, including footpaths and parking lots in just the G and F sectors.

The ITP’s audit report has suggested the mayor widen 11 parking lots, including those in commercial plazas on Nazimud Din Road, Super Market and Blue Area.

It highlights the need for establishing parking lots around weekly bazaars, the district courts in F-8 and around the fruit and vegetable market.

There is no parking space near any of the metro bus stations, which furthers the traffic problem, according to the report, which also stresses on the establishment of parking lots near the bus stations.

The audit says encroachments should be removed from various roads and main service roads and that the one from the PWD signal towards the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building in G-9/2 should be reopened. This road is blocked in front of the FIA office.

It proposes lane marking on over two dozen roads and suggests that over 200 traffic signboards and cat eyes with thrashers be immediately installed on various roads.

When asked, CDA and Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad spokesperson Malik Saleem said the ITP had conducted the survey on the direction of the mayor, who wants to address all traffic related problems.

Talking to Dawn, Chief Metropolitan Officer and Member Planning Asad Mehboob Kayani said the ITPs report will be reviewed over the next few days and the suggestions acted on in order to improve traffic flow.

The SSP traffic said that if the suggestions in the report were acted on, there will be almost no traffic related problems in the city.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2016