SWAT: The residents of Mingora and its suburbs have complained about massive traffic jams on bypass and GT roads and demanded of the government to take immediate steps for smooth flow of traffic.

The residents of Qambar, Odigram, Takhtaband and Mingora said that traffic jams in Mingora had become a routine and the situation was getting worse with each passing day.

They said that the issue of the traffic jam was increasing owing to which people in local vicinities, traders and shopkeepers faced difficulties.

“Nowadays the bypass and GT roads witness constant traffic jams, putting us in real troubles. The two-kilometre distance from Rahimabad to Mingora takes about an hour due to the uncontrolled traffic and mismanagement,” said Iftikhar Ali, a resident of Rahimabad.

The residents of Mingora said that Swat became a hub of illegal rickshaws. “The two-stroke rickshaws, which are harmful for environment, have been banned by Supreme Court in the country but in Swat they are allowed where they openly commute,” said Iqbal Ali, a social activist in Mingora.

He said that the illegal rickshaws from across the country were reaching Swat. “Majority of the rickshaws are either two-stroke or unregistered but the district administration and traffic police do not bother to take action against them,” he added.

The residents said that their children could not reach school in time and ambulances remained stuck for hours on the roads. Hundreds of vehicles including ambulances are stuck for hours with emptied fuel tanks on the roads, increasing the misery of the citizens.

“It is high time for traffic police, district administration and elected representatives to make collective efforts and control the ever-increasing traffic and take strict action against the illegal rickshaws besides making the traffic police active,” said the civil society members in Mingora.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2021