RAWALPINDI: The Pirwadhai general bus stand will be upgraded and turned into a model for the province with the facility of air-conditioned waiting halls and free service of porters for women and elderly passengers to carry their luggage from the waiting area to the buses.

Talking to Dawn, Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha said the project to upgrade the bus stand had been launched in order to facilitate people who traveled from Rawalpindi to other parts of the country.

He said the condition of waiting halls was poor and it has been decided to install air-conditioners in the halls.

“A special desk has been established for women where women staff will be deployed to provide information about buses,” he said.

He said four porters would be deployed in the waiting halls to carry the luggage of women and elderly people to the buses. “Moreover, 20 security guards will be deployed at the bus stand.”

He said sanitation staff had also been deployed to clean the area round the clock and to ensure cleanliness of washrooms. Construction and renovation of washrooms has been started and whitewashing would be done in the building and the bus bays.

Says operation launched to clear footpaths, roads from encroachments in eight bazaars of Rawalpindi

He said bus operators had also been asked to ensure the schedule of arrival and departure of buses and wagons so the passengers would not face any difficulty. He said the administration will not charge any single penny from the passengers for the upgraded facilities.

Anti-encroachment drive

The commissioner said the administration had started an anti-encroachment drive in eight bazaars of the garrison city to clear footpaths and roads from obstacles.

The drive has been launched at Murree Road, Iqbal Road, Banni Chowk, Raja Bazaar, Liaquat Road, College Road, City Saddar Road and adjoining areas. The traders’ associations are helping the administration in this regard and people will feel a difference in a few days, he added.

“We wanted to remove stalls from footpaths and roadsides, but one line is allocated for parking,” he said.

He said crowds at stalls were not only causing traffic jams but were also a security concern which needed to be addressed immediately. He said our aim was not to deprive anyone of their source of income, but to provide a safe environment to traders and customers.

Handcart owners will be given an alternative space, he said. The Grain Mandi has been declared a night market after 7pm where handcart pushers can run their business. He said traders had been asked to identify a place adjacent to Murree Road where a night market can also be started.

Meanwhile, the commissioner was met by a delegation of traders from China Market and Murree Road. They briefed him on issues being faced by traders in their areas.

The commissioner said existing parking spaces in all plazas should be utilised. He said an operation would be launched against all those plazas which had showed basements as parking lots while getting their maps approved but later replaced them with shops.

He directed that traffic police should be deployed in front of plazas to ensure vehicles were parked in the parking spaces instead of roads. He also directed that a meeting should be called within two days to resolve issues pointed out by traders.

RIUT to be functional soon

During a visit to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUT), the commissioner reviewed the ongoing construction work in various parts of the hospital.

RIUT Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Khalid Abbas Janjua, executive engineer (buildings) Imran Raza and other officers were also present.

The commissioner was given a briefing about the ongoing construction work at the RIUT. He directed the concerned authorities to complete the work at the earliest.

Later, the commissioner visited various departments of the hospital. The MS gave him a briefing about the facilities and said 50 dialysis machines were functional in the hospital and 15 patients were undergoing dialysis at the facility daily.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023