Residents of the twin cities had to face traffic problems due to the blockage of roads for VVIP movement on the occasion of the D-8 Conference.
To facilitate foreign delegates in transporting them to their destinations, Islamabad Traffic Police blocked roads at different times of the day on Wednesday.
Traffic jams stretched for hours from Zero point to Faizabad, Pir Wadahai to Faizabad and Rawat to the airport crossing. After waiting for long a time, commuters turned their vehicles back only to get stuck on other junctions at many other points in the federal capital.
Chief Traffic Officer Ishtiaq Shah said that residents needed to behave like sensible educated citizens. “It is our responsibility to provide safe passage to foreign delegates, thus motorists should have waited for the routes to open, to help the traffic police in maintaining the smooth flow of traffic,” he said.
Commuters on the other hand said that instead of lecturing citizens, the police should improve its attitude towards them and address their grievances.
They questioned the justification of blocking roads for vehicles ahead of VVIP motorcades and then failing to manage traffic when routes reopened. They were of the view that VVIPs could have been transported via helicopters on safe routes without creating inconvenience for the masses.
Security in markets areas and roads had also been geared up and Rangers had been deployed in many areas including Super Market and around the Parliament House.
Shopkeepers were told to sit out side their shops and the movement shoppers had also been restricted as part of security measures that created nuisance for shopkeepers and customers.
