Despite the high claims of the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) Rawal Town, encroachments are yet to be removed from the alternative routes for the Sixth Road flyover and Mareer Chowk railway tunnel projects, what to talk about the encroachments in the rest of the city. While talking to agencies, the residents of the areas said that traffic mess was already creating nuisance for the transporters and residents on the Benazir Bhutto Road (Murree Road) and now as traffic had been diverted to the alternative routes, the traffic mess created due to the lack of proper action against the encroachments added to their miseries. The mess worsened in the morning and when schools closed down in the afternoon, which caused gridlocks at important intersections, especially Farooq Azam Chowk and wasted the precious time of citizens, they added. Besides, motorcycle workshops had been erected at different parts of Benazir Bhutto Road near Liaquat Bagh and the Committee Chowk, they said, while adding that the encroachments on the Cricket Stadium Road were also putting a question mark on the performance of the city administration. Moreover, the shopkeepers in the bazaars of the city, including Raja Bazaar, Circular Road, Iqbal Road, Dhok Khabba Road and Kuri Road had also occupied footpaths in front of their shops and the TMA Rawal Town staff was allegedly backing them, the residents said. When contacted, Rawal Town Administrator Saif Anwar Jeppa said that Benazir Bhutto Road would not be blocked for some time. He added that Farooq-e-Azam and Transformer Chowks were very congested and had too many educational institutions, which caused traffic jam there, while also creating inconvenience for the citizens.
