PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Saturday approved Rs200 million for the management of traffic from Pir Zakori Bridge to Dabgeri Garden areas in the provincial capital.

A statement issued here said the traffic management plan would be executed in Zone-F consisting of Balahisar, Lady Reading Hospital, Dabgari Garden, Kohat Road-Ring Road and Pir Zakori Bridge-Balahisar areas on a pilot basis, while the other five zones would be covered by it afterward.

Mr Mahmood approved the plan during a meeting, which was attended by information minister Shaukat Yousafzai, finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, special assistant of the chief minister on merged districts Ajmal Wazir, principal secretary to the chief minister Shahab Ali Shah, Peshawar’s commissioner, deputy commissioner, city police chief, and other relevant officials.

The chief minister agreed to give the lead role to the deputy commissioner of Peshawar for the speedy implementation of the traffic management plan and ordered a crackdown on encroachments and strict enforcement of traffic laws and parking rules.

CM orders crackdown on encroachments, enforcement of traffic laws, parking rules

He said the government would extend all-out help and support to the administration to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the city.

The officials briefed participants about the master plan for mixed traffic lanes and said the entire Peshawar had been divided into six zones.

They said Rs200 million PC-I had been made for the initiative.

The officials said 26 ‘congestion points’ adversely affecting smooth flow of traffic in the city had been identified in Zone F.

They said the major hurdles to traffic included unauthorised U-turns, bottlenecks due to the BRT alignment, open turning bays, missing warning information and signs, illegal roadside parking, pavement distresses, illegal taxi and bus stands, roadside encroachments, congestions, and easy access to driving licences.

The officials said the traffic safety issues included the failure to fasten seat belt, use of mobile phone, speeding and lack of lane discipline by drivers, lack of public awareness of traffic rules and their poor enforcement, and unavailability of modern traffic control devices like traffic signals, signs and pavement markings.

They said the traffic management plan had corrective measures for such issues.

The officials said 46 short-term traffic measures had been identified in Zone F, while survey of another zone had begun.

The meeting was also briefed about the congestion points on mixed traffic lanes on BRT corridor.

The officials said a joint team for the purpose had been notified by the transport department.

They said survey of the mixed lanes on BRT corridor had been completed.

The officials said PC-I of the project had been designed and prepared by the office of the deputy commissioner.

They said the first phase of the project would be implemented at the estimated cost of Rs200 million to be spent from the already-approved ADP scheme for the uplift and beautification of the divisional headquarters.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2019