Most roads in Peshawar remain blocked due to slow BRT work

PESHAWAR: The traffic system in the provincial metropolis has become a total mess with thousands of motorists suffering in different parts of the city mainly due to the slow pace of work on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

The traffic sergeants deployed at the busiest squares and trade centres during the peak hours have failed to ensure smooth flow of traffic and end the blockade on the narrow alternate routes where vehicles are diverted.

"I am doing it all alone for the last one month and you can see it is almost impossible to organise these motorists," a traffic constable at a busy square in Hashtnagri told The News while pointing at a large number of vehicles coming on the wrong way from all four sides.

The deployment of traffic sergeants at most of these points is insufficient. Some sergeants seem to have given up due to the hopelessness in regulating the traffic. Others lack interest in performing their duty.

There is no check on the deployed sergeants at busy squares and spots where traffic remains blocked for long. "It has become almost impossible to drive in Saddar, University Road, GT Road and dozens of busiest trade hubs in the old city including Khyber Bazaar, Qissa Khwani, Dabgari, Lahori Gate, Hashtnagri, Sikandarpura and Gulbahar, especially from 8 am to 9 pm," said a motorist, Kamal Ahmad.

He said it takes 30 to 40 minutes during peak hours to drive one kilometer from the Stadium Chowk to FC Chowk in Saddar. "You can't say how long it will take from Saddar to Gulbahar or any other part of the city due to the traffic mess all over. Many prefer taking auto-rickshaws or the recently introduced motorbike service to travel within the city due to the traffic jam all the time," added Kamal.

After rain, there can be seen pool of water in the middle of the road in Stadium Chowk and other parts of Peshawar. Many locals are disappointed with the slow pace of construction work on the BRT. They are worried that they would face the same worst traffic jams in the coming many months.

Some people demanded that the traffic police bosses and the government-in-waiting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should take up with the concerned authorities the reopening of one or more roads in the Peshawar Cantonment for the public to smoothly connect the Sher Shah Suri Road with the Khyber Road the long suffering motorists and commuters. They felt this will provide some relief to a large number of people daily.