IN the last couple of years, lots of work has been done on the widening of roads and the beautification of Peshawar. The sides of the roads which previously were used as garbage dumps like those near Khyber Teaching Hospital, Karkhano market, GT Road towards Nowsher, are now clean green belts.

The government recently announced a flyover at a cost of Rs1.5 billion at the already existing Pir Zakoordhi flyover at the junction of GT Road and Ring Road, similar to the Bab-i-Peshawar flyover constructed last year.

This flyover, built at a cost of nearly Rs2 billion, is a disaster and reflects poor planning. It has four components, three of which are unnecessary, particularly the one leading from Karkhano market towards Hayatabad, which is a two-storey flyover. You rarely see any vehicles using this part.

I have travelled and worked in financially-affluent countries where they spend a lot on developing infrastructure but nowhere have I seen a flyover for taking a turn toward your own side, meaning going to the left in a right-hand-drive system or to the right in a left-hand-drive one. The Bab-i-Peshawar flyover has two such components, which is not only a waste of public money, it practically reduces the Grand Trunk Road to a single traffic lane.

I request the authorities concerned to spend public money sensibly.

Dr Aziz ur Rahman
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2017