Where do I park?

It was learnt on Wednesday that citizens faced problems due to a lack of parking lots in the city’s commercial areas, particularly on Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road, College Road, Moti Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Saddar Bazaar, Tench Bhatta and Lalkurti.

The citizens were compelled to park their vehicles on the roads, which also created traffic jams and posed a security threat to the bazaars’ visitors.

A motorist, Altaf said that coming to Sadar through the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road for shopping was a nightmare as he had to park his vehicle either on the road or on the footpath which provoked the traffic police. Parking vehicles at Bank Road in Saddar and Tench Bhatta bazaar was a big problem, he added.

Another motorist, Aslam said that the policemen on duty did not understand that the shoppers had no option other than parking vehicles at roadsides.

He felt that no one would park on the road if proper parking facilities were provided.

Further, Usman said that if they parked in the no parking zones, traffic wardens imposed fines. “These are the oldest bazaars in the city and a large number of people come here for shopping, but the parking problem is worsening day by day,” he maintained.

Usman said that though the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) had spent hefty amounts in development’s name on Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road, the department was unconcerned about constructing a car park in the busiest commercial area.

Moreover, the city administration had failed to eliminate growing encroachments from the city’s markets.

The encroachments caused problems for the pedestrians and the traffic flow. Uncountable stalls set up by shopkeepers in front of their shops as well as illegal pushcarts on roadsides were abundant in all major markets, despite being strictly banned by the authorities.