RAWALPINDI: The sit-in staged by Tehreek Laibak Ya Rasool Allah at Faizabad Interchange continued for the fifth consecutive day creating a mess on roads in the twin cities.

Usually Sunday remains a calm day for the road users but it was totally different this weekend. The metro bus service also remained limited from Saddar to I-9 as it did not complete its route to the Pakistan Secretariat in Islamabad.

“On the directives of the deputy commissioner Rawalpindi, the operation of the metro bus service has been limited. However, the service will be fully operational after the district administration issues fresh directions,” Metro Bus Authority Operational Manager Uzair Shah while told Dawn.

On the other hand, seeing no end to the sit-in, the Rawalpindi Traffic Police sought help from its counterparts in Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock to manage the expected gridlocks on Monday (today).

City Traffic Officer (CTO) Shahid Ali Yousaf said the traffic police had turned down a request from the local administration to close Double Road in Shamsabad for T-20 matches which started at the stadium on November 11. He said if Double Road was closed, the commuters would have no other alternative to travel between Islamabad and Rawalpindi as Murree Road was closed due to the sit-in at Faizabad.

He said traffic between Rawalpindi and Islamabad was being managed through Double Road, New Kattarian, Golra Mor and I.J. Principal Road.

“The supply of goods to the markets is also suffering as the traffic police are allowing heavy vehicles to enter the city areas only after 11pm till 6am.”

He said the police were working day and night to manage traffic but the vehicular movement in the narrow streets in the downtown area was slow due to the blockade of the main roads.

Meanwhile, taxi drivers refused to go to Murree Road due to the rush and commuters were mostly seen walking on the main road due to the absence of public transport. The citizens criticised the government for not taking any step to end the sit-in by the religious groups even after five days.

“I wanted to go to Aabpara but the wagon driver dropped us at Sadiqabad as there was a traffic mess on Double Road,” said Raffique Ahmed.

Ahmed Raja, a commuter at Chandni Chowk, said the traffic police had failed to devise alternate routes, and diverted all the traffic to Double Road which added to the gridlocks.

“For the last five days, the government has failed to take notice of the hardship being faced by the residents,” he said.

Nasir Ali, a resident of Westridge, said traffic problems had disturbed the routine life of the residents. He said he had to go to his office in Blue Area after changing three public transport vehicles.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2017