Consumers urge to manage traffic, causing congestion on Srinagar Highway

ISLAMABAD, Mar 19 (APP): Mismanaged car queues are causing traffic congestion at Srinagar Highway due to car parking alongside the road of the popular weekly bazaar at H-9 Sector.

The mega shopping bazaar and most visited place of the metropolis lacks proper management and coordination to make visitors park their vehicles properly. The entrance and exit to the parking remain overfilled, bungled, and aching especially on Sunday which causes an unmanageable traffic load for officials and market staffers.

Visitors prefer to park vehicles along with Srinagar Highway, service road, and 9th avenue to seek easy entrance and exit after their shopping.

Kashif Raza a visitor to the market said that the parking area remains occupied and the customers have to reach their cars on foot while carrying heavy packs of groceries. He said that to avoid inconvenience citizens prefer to park their cars on the main road.

Another visitor Saima Khursheed commented that citizens prefer shopping from the weekly markets as prices of essential commodities are reasonable. She said that customers save some money but waste their time due to unmanaged traffic.

When contacted Islamabad Traffic Police, the relevant official said that traffic management of weekly markets remains at the top of the priorities list of the police. He said that wardens are always available on the Srinagar Highway and around the weekly markets to maintain the traffic flow.

He informed that every customer is in hurry and tries to park the car close to the doors. He said that challan tickets are issued to those who violate the parking rules.

Talking to APP, Assistant Commissioner Industrial Area Awaid Bhatti said the administration is putting best efforts to solve the parking issue in the area along with better management and renovation of the bazaar to facilitate citizens.

He said that parking area was extended but visitors to resolve the issue of parking and road congestion. “A request has been submitted to Chief Commissioner Islamabad for a multi-storey parking plaza to solve the issue once and for all”, he added.

He said that the administration has been planning to widen the entrance and exit to the markets which would clear the way to sideways of the parking.