Traffic mess follows morning downpour

Islamabad: Islamabad and Rawalpindi witnessed traffic mess on roads after it rained heavily on Monday morning.The downpour began to fall at around 7:15 a.m. and lasted until 10 a.m. leaving behind clogged roads, which threw traffic out of gear.Vehicles moved at a snail's pace on major roads, especially on Margalla Road, IJ Principal Road, Islamabad Expressway and 7th and 9th avenues in Islamabad and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road, the Mall, Stadium Road, Saidpur Road, and Rawal Road, as people were bound for schools and offices in large numbers.Caught unawares by heavy rain, many motorcyclists pulled over under bridges for cover, while many motorbikes and automobiles broke down on waterlogged roads and thus, causing traffic jams.There're tailbacks at many places with the traffic cops struggling to regulate the movement of vehicles. Things were the worst at the arteries near Faizabad intersection.Amid honking of horns by others, some motorists entered wrong lanes in order to make their way through traffic to destinations and thus, worsening the gridlock.Many blamed the situation on the mismanagement of the traffic police, while some maintained that a good number of motorists didn’t have road sense, while others didn’t use it especially during rush hours.Many roads and streets, especially in low-lying areas, were flooded by rainwater. The rainstorm uprooted trees and pulled down walls and signboards at many places. However, no damage to public life or property was reported.There were complaints about traffic lights going out of order at major intersections during rainy days. The road users demanded that the traffic police come up with a comprehensive strategy to prevent mess on the roads during rainy days.At the same time, they said if the traffic department was understaffed, then the government should induct cops there in adequate numbers to efficiently manage traffic on the city roads. The road users also criticised the civic authorities for faulty drainage system, especially for roads, saying there's traffic mess whenever it rained. They also complained of potholed roads and faulty traffic lights. Recording a maximum of 52 and 26 millimetres rain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi respectively, the Met Office forecast more rainfall in the next 48 hours.

from The News International - Islamabad https://ift.tt/2L0fset