ABBOTTABAD: Picnic resorts in Abbottabad and Galiyats witnessed an unprecedented rush of tourists during the Eid holidays and traffic remained blocked for hours at different places, creating difficulties for motorists.

Despite deployment of police from other districts as part of traffic plan for Abbottabad city, the administration failed to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Traffic constables most of the time remained busy in checking documents of vehicles despite instructions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa IGP not to check the documents of vehicles till the drivers make any traffic rule violation.

Bumber-to-bumber traffic was seen from Hasanabadal to Havelian to Abbottabad and the travel of about one and a half hours was extended to several hours because of blockades created by rush and broken down vehicles.

Traffic snarls seen at different places

The Karakoram Highway, the only route connecting Kaghan, Naran, Galiyat, Gilgit and other hilly areas with the lower parts of the country, saw a heavy rush and traffic snarls at different points. The tourists moved to Galiyat, Kaghan and Naran side which increased the traffic pressure. The police failed to maintain smooth flow of traffic especially from Havelian to Abbottabad.

However, the situation in Galyats was much better from traffic point of view as the bypass from Makool to Havelian was opened and enough boards were displayed showing distances, traffic diversions, etc which reduced the burden on Abbottabad-Nathiagali road.

Special deployment of traffic riders and police riders along with police of Torghar and Kohistan, volunteers of Galiyat Development Authority and district police kept the flow of traffic smooth in the entire Galiyats from Bagnother to Barian, the boundary of Murree.

Hotel occupancy remained 100 per cent in Galiyats , Ayubia, Donga Gali, Changla Gali and other hilly areas where rents were increased by more than five times.

Most of the tourists had to spend nights in their vehicles as almost all the hotels were full to capacity. Water shortage was also reported in some parts of Galiyats.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2016