Traffic situation in Multan is worsening every day. It has doubled & trippled over last few years. Last road expansions took place during Yusuf Raza Gillani's time. No new underpasses, no new flyovers. Only progress made in Multan during PMLN rule is the unwanted METRO. Punjab govt is busy spending all our taxes in Lahore. Next to none for South. Where the population here is growing as rapidly as in Lahore, there seems to be no plan for any expansion here. The way traffic is thickening, keeping in mind the next 5 years, the roads need immediate expansion of twice the existing sizes than what we have today. As Khadim aala of Punjab has also unleashed speedo busses, without thinking, whether there is enough space on the roads or not. Fond of decorations that they are, they have also added these fancy, blinking & sparkling dolphin squad. Who are more interested in racing with female drivers or catching people for fireworks on weddings than playing any positive role. Roads of Multan, lack the space or capacity to hold so much traffic.
Absolutely, no attention is being paid towards Nishtar road, which draws patients, not only from South Punjab and Saraiki belt but from deep inside Balochistan and some parts of NWFP. Presence of Nishtar hospital, new burn center, college of dentistry, Nishtar medical college and hostels, alongwith plenty of private hospitals, medical store and labs cause heavy influx of people and traffic. This road remains jam packed during the day time. Remember, it leads to the emergency too. Sometimes, due to thick traffic or jam, even the rescue 1122 ambulances are trribly stuck for hours and patients lose lives, right infront of the hospital. As observed by many, the reason for this mayhem on Nishtar road are the narrow passings at the sides of the flyover. These passings underwent a lot of criticism, at the time this flyover was constructed, almost a decade ago. It was evident, even at that time, the size of this road was not enough, according the requirements of the population. Nishtar hospital Multan is bigger than services hospital Lahore, but the main road infront of it is hardly as big as the service road infront of any hospital in Lahore. Recently, the traffic to airport has also been transferred to this road, increasing the troubles of patients, doctors and all those, who have businesses on this road. It requires immediate expansion, twice its size at both the sides.
Absolutely, no attention is being paid towards Nishtar road, which draws patients, not only from South Punjab and Saraiki belt but from deep inside Balochistan and some parts of NWFP. Presence of Nishtar hospital, new burn center, college of dentistry, Nishtar medical college and hostels, alongwith plenty of private hospitals, medical store and labs cause heavy influx of people and traffic. This road remains jam packed during the day time. Remember, it leads to the emergency too. Sometimes, due to thick traffic or jam, even the rescue 1122 ambulances are trribly stuck for hours and patients lose lives, right infront of the hospital. As observed by many, the reason for this mayhem on Nishtar road are the narrow passings at the sides of the flyover. These passings underwent a lot of criticism, at the time this flyover was constructed, almost a decade ago. It was evident, even at that time, the size of this road was not enough, according the requirements of the population. Nishtar hospital Multan is bigger than services hospital Lahore, but the main road infront of it is hardly as big as the service road infront of any hospital in Lahore. Recently, the traffic to airport has also been transferred to this road, increasing the troubles of patients, doctors and all those, who have businesses on this road. It requires immediate expansion, twice its size at both the sides.
What's more, the military check posts have added every day misery to the lives of many. Truly a headache for those, who have to get stuck in the middle every day. Military is not bothered to speed up the process of checking. Even passing a post sometimes takes hours. Children get late for schools, people reach late at work. And honestly, I find it extremely unfair, in order to provide security to Fort colony and military areas, ordinary citizens have to line up & wait for hours to get cleared, in hot or in cold. It gets humiliating for some, specially the students on motor bikes, who have to remove helmets, prove their identies and line up with hundred others, waiting for hours to get cleared. Meanwhile, missing their time to reach at tutions in time.
Why do we raise hue and cry, when traffic is blocked to provide protocol to political VIPs. If common man has to suffer at the hands of both?
Although, people like us have got cantt passes made after paying some amount, so we don't have to suffer the ordeal every day but it does not mean that we aren't aware of these problems. Specifically the situation on Sher Shah road is in distress due to these check posts. People literally fear to visit these areas. Businesses in these areas are suffering because people are afraid of visiting. The restaurants and new places remain deprived of their customers. Price of the property has been affected badly. People are selling off and moving to areas, where there are no military check posts.
Sher Shad road was previously called the GT or LMQ (Lahore, Quetta, Multan) road. It has a lot of significance. It connects the entire country, but its status is ruined due to these check posts and traffic jams. Although, after Multan by-pass was created, the previous rush on this road was reduced, but, industrial area is on this road. Gigantic trollers have no other access to it but from this road and the only way, is a narrow passage from Nadirabad phattak. This cross is comparatively a lot smaller for the enormous trollers with gigantic containers. When a truck or troller driver tries to turn from the main road to industral area, it takes atleast few minutes. Whereas, traffic from both sides, start to build and by the time, it is in a condition to enter industrial area, it gets stuck in the traffic around it. Ultimately blocking traffic from every side. Usually, there is no traffic police on this spot and can only be seen, hours after the jam. There are no traffic signals here and when the phattak is opened, it results in utter chaos. There is a requirement of constructing an underpass to cantt and an over-head bridge at Nadir-abad phattak, inorder to rid this area traffic jams.
Where traffic gets blocked due to Nadir Abad phattak at one side. On the other, check post near Askari colony gets blocked due to heavy traffic and slow process of checkings on the post and this road comes to a total jam for hours. From Nadir-abad phattak to Askari post, imagine, this area is almost 3 kilometeres, which remains jammed every other day.
More for this road. The major source of entertainment, the lake, ''chaman zar Askari'' is there too. Awwan-e-Shuhada is also situated on it. Services club Multan, which is now callec MGM is a little ahead of it. Multan has only one 'Cantt garden' and access to it has been granted from the same road. On eids, special holidays, not flood but sea of entertainment deprived, natives of the city of saints head towards these areas. Even the rush of pedestrians is enough to bring this road to a halt. Just think of the havoc created by the traffic. This road is blocked when some big wedding takes place at MGM. This road is blocked with pedestrians, when there is flowers exhibition in cantt garden and it comes to a standstill for hours, from Nadirabad phattak onwards, entire area of 4-5 km.
Sher Shad road was previously called the GT or LMQ (Lahore, Quetta, Multan) road. It has a lot of significance. It connects the entire country, but its status is ruined due to these check posts and traffic jams. Although, after Multan by-pass was created, the previous rush on this road was reduced, but, industrial area is on this road. Gigantic trollers have no other access to it but from this road and the only way, is a narrow passage from Nadirabad phattak. This cross is comparatively a lot smaller for the enormous trollers with gigantic containers. When a truck or troller driver tries to turn from the main road to industral area, it takes atleast few minutes. Whereas, traffic from both sides, start to build and by the time, it is in a condition to enter industrial area, it gets stuck in the traffic around it. Ultimately blocking traffic from every side. Usually, there is no traffic police on this spot and can only be seen, hours after the jam. There are no traffic signals here and when the phattak is opened, it results in utter chaos. There is a requirement of constructing an underpass to cantt and an over-head bridge at Nadir-abad phattak, inorder to rid this area traffic jams.
Where traffic gets blocked due to Nadir Abad phattak at one side. On the other, check post near Askari colony gets blocked due to heavy traffic and slow process of checkings on the post and this road comes to a total jam for hours. From Nadir-abad phattak to Askari post, imagine, this area is almost 3 kilometeres, which remains jammed every other day.
More for this road. The major source of entertainment, the lake, ''chaman zar Askari'' is there too. Awwan-e-Shuhada is also situated on it. Services club Multan, which is now callec MGM is a little ahead of it. Multan has only one 'Cantt garden' and access to it has been granted from the same road. On eids, special holidays, not flood but sea of entertainment deprived, natives of the city of saints head towards these areas. Even the rush of pedestrians is enough to bring this road to a halt. Just think of the havoc created by the traffic. This road is blocked when some big wedding takes place at MGM. This road is blocked with pedestrians, when there is flowers exhibition in cantt garden and it comes to a standstill for hours, from Nadirabad phattak onwards, entire area of 4-5 km.
I just hope and pray that our military brethren show some care and find some better ways to enhance their security, which are less inconvenient for the general public. Civilians have won the case against these check posts.. Now we are wondering, if miliarty will remove these check posts? We do believe them to be our protectors and our saviours, but have they realized, what inconvenience they are causing for us, specially on Sher Shah road? Are they now going to remove these or should we not expect any courtesy from them, like we don't from politicians?
