RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) installed steel pillars to permanently close Bank Road from Murree Road to Canning Road despite opposition from shopkeepers.
The civic agency said that it would install pillars on other three sections of the road next week.
On the other hand, Cantonment Traders Association warned of a protest if the RCB did not reopen Bank Road for traffic next week.
The closer of Bank Road and turning it into a walking corridor has become a bone of contention between the traders and the civic body. On January 7, traders in Saddar closed their shops and wanted to hold a rally on the call of Cantonment Traders Association. However, on the request of Additional Cantonment Officer Haider Shuja, they dispersed peacefully and decided to resolve the issue through talks.
Traders’ association warns of protest if civic agency does not reopen road next week
RCB Secretary Rasheed Saqib told Dawn that work on the pedestrian street had been launched on the directives of the chief minister and the beautification work worth Rs2 billion would be completed as per plan.
He said there were four phases of the project: in the first phase steel pillars were to be installed to close Bank Road from Murree Road to Canning Road.
“In the second phase, we will install pillars from Canning Road to Kashmir Road, from Kashmir Road to Hospital Road and then from Hospital Road to Police Station Road,” he said.
The work would be completed in a week or two. He said a shuttle service had been launched for pedestrians facing problems to walk.
“A total of four shuttle vehicles will be operated on the four sections,” he said.
The official said except a few traders, visitors and shopkeepers had appreciated the cantonment board for the beautification work. He said electricity cables had been shifted underground on Bank Road, Haider Road and The Mall to rid the area of hanging cables.
About the parking issue, he said that two parking areas had been allocated on Haider Road in front of Flashman’s Hotel and Cerios Cinema while a vacant plot was also available which would be used for parking.
However, leaders of traders association claimed that RCB officials including the cantonment executive officer and the station commander had assured them that Bank Road would be opened for traffic. It said that the closure of the road had resulted in traffic congestion in the area.
They said that as per original plan for the improvement of Saddar, RCB was not supposed to close Bank Road and turned it into a pedestrian street but it had to underground the electricity cables, improve the roads, signboards of shops on the funding of Punjab government.
When contacted, Cantonment Traders Association Secretary General Zafar Qadri said that due to ill-planned work by RCB, traders and visitors were suffering a lot.
“Customers avoid visiting main Saddar and three main brands have closed their shops on Bank Road while most of the other main outlets have issued notices to lay off their staff,” he claimed. He said that RCB and traders held meetings after January 7 strike and were given assurance that Bank Road would be opened gradually. However, RCB opened the Hospital Road only, he added.
Mr Qadri said that he was a member of the steering committee formed by RCB when the development work had been launched in Saddar and the committee was informed that the Punjab government had allocated funds for the beautification of Saddar. Under the plan, eight feet footpaths and 18 feet parking lot would be constructed on the both sides of Bank Road while the road’s size was to be 40 feet.
However, he said, the plan was changed without consultation with shopkeepers. He admitted that RCB had installed new signboards of shops.
“We had reservation that brand logos were not printed on the signboards but we did not object.” He said that traders would call a meeting of shopkeepers in a few days to chalk out a plan to get the issue resolved.
Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2025
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