RAWALPINDI  – The newly constructed Sixth Road Flyover, on the pressure of the citizens, has been opened for vehicular traffic while its formal inauguration will be on Jan 9.
Earlier, the completion date of this project was fixed Jan 23 but the difficulties being faced by the citizens forced the authorities concerned to direct the contractor to accelerate the pace of work on the project and day and night construction work led to accomplishment of the project ahead of schedule.
The Commissioner Rawalpindi division had given green signal for opening the flyover for vehicular traffic by driving vehicle on the night between Thursday and Friday but it could not become possible due to tug of war between High way department of Punjab and NLC.
The work on the flyover has been completed 100 percent but the tussle between the two departments blocked its inauguration but on Saturday evening, the Flyover was opened for traffic. Though the local administration wanted to wait for the return of PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi from Saudi Arabia to inaugurate the flyover, the National Logistics Cell (NLC) managed its opening so that it could repair the service roads without any hindrance. Sardar Naseem, the president of the party’s city chapter, MPA Raja Hanif Advocate and officials of the communication and works department and the NLC were present when the traffic was allowed to pass on the flyover on Saturday evening. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will formally inaugurate the bridge. The chief minister had laid the foundation of the flyover on September 25. The 248 metre long bridge with 202 metre ramp has been constructed at a cost of 1042 million.
Jamshaid Khan, an engineer of the C&W department said that the flyover’s opening was never stopped but the construction work was completed on Saturday morning. Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Imdadullah Bosal told the construction company had recommended opening of the bridge while the C&W department had sought some time.
“The C&W department wanted to complete the remaining work without any hurdle so it had delayed the opening of the bridge,” he said.
“The lighting system, greenbelts beneath the bridge, patchwork and the construction of service roads along the bridge will take some time,” he said. The remaining work would be completed within shortest possible time frame, he added.
Meanwhile,  Insufficient transport facilities and allocation of less space in public transport for women commuters from twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have added to their miseries. On one hand public transport plying on the route from Rawalpindi to Islamabad and back does not cater to the needs of the citizens particularly government employees as presence of wagons and buses is very thin and on the other hand this scarcity has become scourge for the women commuters, said Saira a working woman at Sadiq Abad wagon stop.
Sitting space is drastically on lower side for the ladies in all wagons and buses as only two ladies can travel at a time in a wagon on front seat, said Khadija, a government employee.

We have to wait for hours on wagon terminals and when any wagon comes, only lucky working lady can find a seat through a string of jostling and pushes. They demanded raise in women seats in public transport to mitigate their woes.