MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Iftikhar Gillani, has ordered the shift of major bus terminals out of Muzaffarabad city for a permanent solution to the growing traffic problems in the capital.
Chairing a meeting in Muzaffarabad regarding the city’s traffic management and public transport relocation plan, Gillani also directed the concerned officials to immediately visit the proposed sites for new bus terminals and submit a report.
The meeting reviewed the various suggestions related to traffic problems in Muzaffarabad, the public transport system, the relocation of transport hubs, the widening of roads, the relocation of the vegetable market, and the beautification and renovation of the city.
Commissioner Muzaffarabad Badar Munir gave a detailed briefing to the Prime Minister in this regard.
Principal Secretary Sardar Adnan Khurshid and Secretary Works Muhammad Naeem Bismal, DIG Shahryar Sikandar, President Transport Union Khawaja Azam Rasool, Deputy Commissioner Munir Qureshi, SSP Riaz Mughal, and other relevant officials attended the meeting.
The Prime Minister also directed the cleaning and beautification of all entry points of the capital city and the preparation of a comprehensive plan for the modern design and renovation of Neelum Park and Tahli Mandi.
Other orders include dismantling all illegal transport stands in the city except for the designated places, shifting the vegetable market to the designated place, and widening the city roads as per their feasibility.
Addressing the meeting, Gillani said that improving the traffic system in Muzaffarabad is the need of the hour. “Citizens face difficulties due to traffic jams and unorganized transport every day, which requires a permanent solution,” he added.
He stated that the traffic problem should not be solved permanently, adding that the work should be started by visiting the proposed locations to shift transport hubs out of the congested areas of the city and reviewing them.
The Prime Minister directed that the relevant authorities should personally inspect all the sites proposed for bus terminals and submit a comprehensive report, keeping in mind the availability of land, traffic flow, future requirements, and other technical aspects.
He said that the width of the roads and alternative routes should also be reviewed to improve the traffic system. “A regular feasibility report should be prepared for this purpose.”
The Prime Minister also issued instructions to expedite the process of shifting the vegetable market to the allocated place. He directed the relevant institutions to take the relevant stakeholders into confidence in this regard and ensure all necessary facilities.
“Necessary measures, including cleaning, planting trees, landscaping, and appropriate signboards, should be placed at the entrances of the city,” he concluded.
