RAWALPINDI: Over 7,000 vehicles entered Murree during the Eid days while a significant number of tourists were still on their way to the hill station even though there was parking space for 5,000 vehicles.

Regional Police Officer Babar Sarfraz Alpa visited Murree on Friday and reviewed the security and traffic situation and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements put in place by the traffic police.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Taimoor Khan said the arrival of more tourists in the area continued.

The CTO said more than 300 traffic personnel had been deployed in Murree to facilitate tourists during the Eidul Fitr holidays. In addition, three DSPs have also been posted to the hill station to supervise the traffic arrangements.

To ensure safety of tourists, driving licences are being checked at the entrances and checking points while motorcyclists without helmets are not being allowed to enter Murree, said the CTO.

Tourists head north as three PIA flights land at Skardu airport from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on Eid day

Despite being a two-way and narrow road, traffic is flowing on all the highways of Murree, the CTO said, adding due to lack of space vehicles were being parked on single side of roads.

All roads in Murree are open and traffic is smoothly flowing, Senior Traffic Officer Munir Ahmad Hashmi added.

Awareness pamphlets were distributed among tourists coming to Murree for safe travel, he said, adding GPO Chowk had unusual traffic pressure due to rush of pedestrians.

The CTO said that tourists should follow traffic rules to make their journey safe and enjoyable and should park their vehicles only in designated areas to avoid inconvenience.

“Tourists should avoid wrong parking as traffic police officers are constantly patrolling to check violations,” the CTO said.

Traffic update is being given through radio station FM 88.6 and official social media pages. Tourists can contact traffic police helpline 0519269200 for help and guidance, said the CTO.

Tourists heading north

As summer approaches, tourists were heading north on the Eid day. Three flights - one each from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad - landed at Skardu International Airport.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said on Eid day, the Skardu airport received three PIA flights – one each from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The three Airbus A320 flights were operated within 15 to 20 minutes interval of each other. A footage released by the CAA showed that a PIA aircraft was taking off while another was waiting for taxing and the third one was parked after disembarking the passenger at the airport.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2024