islamabad - All the roads surrounding Faizabad, situated at the conjunction of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, remain choked for hours as a matter of routine due to unorganised traffic.
According to the people who cannot avoid the point, it takes a lot of time to pass the area. Sometimes, they have to spend half-an-hour at Faizabad, particularly in the rush hours of morning and evening.
They said IJ Principal Road meets at Faizabad with Rawalpindi city’s Benazir Bhutto Road (commonly known as Muree Road) and Islamabad Expressway. Heavy traffic uses this road. Moreover, many inter-city bus terminals are functioning at Faizabad, which are further contributing to choke the traffic.
Besides, illegal parking of vehicles such as taxis, coaches, and rickshaws along the two sides of the road was a common practice, they added. They said a few traffic personnel are deputed, but they face difficulty to regulate the traffic.
Aslam Khan, who daily travels on IJP Road, said the road was built for normal transport, but due to security concerns, the heavy vehicles which once used Kashmir Road (in Islamabad) had been diverted to it, causing heavy traffic jams.
The Metro Bus Service project, which has proved very beneficial to the commuters, had been completed, but no steps have been taken to rebuild or repair the IJP Road, particularly at Faizabad, where it always remains fishy. Furthermore the condition of road at the flyover is even more disturbing where huge patches have emerged and they call for urgent attention of the road maintenance wing of the CDA. Therefore the bumpy road with bus terminals result in heavy rush at Faizabad, sometimes causing loss of commuters’ lives, said Abrar.
The people of the cities have urged the Capital development Authority to take urgent measures for reconstruction of IJP Road, besides removal of “illegal” bus terminals for smooth traffic flow.
Meanwhile, U-turns sans speed-breaker and service roads of sector G-8, G-7, F-8, F-7 along with Islamabad Expressway pose threat to motorists in general and motorcyclists in particular.
After up-gradation of Highway to six-line, traffic flow has increased manifold due to which taking U-turns without fish-bellies and mixing traffic of service roads on Islamabad Expressway put both motorists and motorcyclists in danger, besides testing their nerves.
At Zero Point Interchange, there is no sign indication for motorists to change their lane or fish-belly which is somehow necessary to avoid accidents. Coming from Kashmir Highway to Zero Point interchange after taking loop either from Peshawar Mor to Islamabad Highway or Aabpara, the traffic gets mixed right after end of loops with both sides coming from Faisal Mosque to Faizabad or Faizabad to Faisal Mosque. Muhammad Faisal Iqbal, resident of Iqbal Town said that he used Islamabad Highway to reach his office but it has become more difficult to take U-turn near ZTBL Bank as there is no fish-belly or speed-breaker which may ensure less speed of traffic coming from both sides. During rush hours, sometime he has to wait half an hour to cross over to other side, he added.
He said that there should be a speed-breaker before U-turns and fish-belly which ultimately facilitate the vehicles in taking U-turns.
A motorcyclist and resident of sector I-10, Iftqar Hussain Naqvi said “ everyday by using Zero point Interchange I put myself on risk while taking U-turn.”
Four-wheeler never bother to reduce their speed for motorcyclists as they were changing their row for approaching U-turn, he added. There was no speed-braker near U-turns which can be helpful for the motorcyclists and other traffic to avoid incident, he added.
Over-burdened traffic with high speed on Islamabad Highway has somehow become more dangerous at these places where people taking U-turn or traffic of service road, start mixing, he remarked.
Resident of sector G-8, Adnan Ahmad Khan said that right after crossing Centaurus Chowk signal, traffic get high speed while finding signal, speed-breaker free road ahead. Due to high speed of vechicles, it was extremely difficult to take U-turn or to change their side for it, he said.
When contacted, Capital Development Authority, Director Roads North Muhammad Khalid Asif told APP that the Authority has plan to construct two underpasses like the 7th Avenue of Blue Area on Islamabad Highway.
Through these under-passes on highway, the four sectors including G-8, G-7, and F-8, F-7 and general traffic, would ultimately be facilitated.