Rawalpindi : Over 145,000 vehicles entered Murree during Eidul Azha holidays while as many as 57,000 went out from the hill station, said a City Traffic Police (CTP) spokesman on Saturday.
He informed that 340 traffic personnel were deployed in Murree to guide the tourists and provide all possible facilities to them. He said CTP had banned the entry of heavy vehicles, buses and young motorcyclists allegedly involved in one-wheeling or other stunts to ensure safety of the tourists and smooth flow of traffic at the hill station.
CTP Rawalpindi had chalked out a comprehensive plan for Eid-ul-Azha under which over 340 Wardens and Traffic officers were deployed in Murree aimed at avoiding traffic mess, he said adding, there was a parking facility of just 3200 vehicles in Murree. The CTP on the directives of Chief Traffic Officer, Rawalpindi had finalized all the arrangements besides setting up a control room at Traffic Police Headquarters to monitor the situation but due to heavy traffic load, the vehicles were moving at snail’s pace at different points particularly at Lower Topa and Jhika Gali, creating problems for the road users. Wheelies and the car-skaters were dealt in accordance with the law and the rules violators were sent behind the bars, he said adding that traffic wardens had been directed to impound motorcycles of one-wheelers in respective police stations.
He said, the citizens, particularly the parents, were urged to play a role to curb the activity as one wheeling, rash and negligent driving are the main causes for fatal accidents.
All the traffic officers and Wardens had also been directed to remain present at their duty points so that no traffic jam could take place, he added. He told that all-out efforts were being made by Rawalpindi Traffic Police to facilitate the road users adding, in view of the security of the citizens, special traffic arrangements had been made besides deployment of Rawalpindi District Police officials.
Traffic Wardens had also been directed to work with dedication and commitment and ensure the traffic flow so that traffic mess particularly on congested roads could be averted and the citizens could be provided relief, he said and informed that as per the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) guidelines to contain spread of the deadly coronavirus, the entry of tourists in Murree was banned without the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.