Rawalpindi:
The Punjab government has introduced a green cyclist lane in Rawalpindi for motorcyclists after Lahore to address traffic concerns.
Motorcyclists can now travel easily on a dedicated track from Gulzar-E-Quaid to Flying Club and from the flying club to Korral turning at Old Airport Road.
While the City Traffic Police (CTP) is working to raise awareness among motorcyclists and also enforce the rules, the general director of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Kinza Murtaza, says that reflectors and signals will be placed in the green biker lane, especially shifts.
In addition, two monuments will be erected in specific points along the way to highlight the culture of Punjab and Rawalpindi, he adds.
After the vision of Punjab’s prime minister, Maryam Nawaz, to guarantee a soft traffic flow and safe travel on the roads, the GDR has launched a pilot project.
In the first phase, a five -kilometer track has been developed for motorcyclists on both sides of Old Airport Road at a cost of RS45 million, with a lane of green motorcyclists 12 feet wide.
The track, which extends from Korral Chowk to the Flying Club and back, has been partially completed and is now testing. The work is still ongoing on one side of the road. Motorcyclists have already begun to benefit from the dedicated lane.
According to RDA DG, a special type of paint has been used to ensure that cyclists do not slide, even during rain. The installation will be extended gradually to other busy roads of the city, including the Nur Khan and Murree Road air base.
The CTP has deployed traffic guards in specific points on the way to enforce traffic laws and provide consciousness to motorcyclists with respect to Green Biker Lane.
Traffic director Beenish Fatima believes that the green motorcyclist lane will improve traffic flow and reduce accidents. She emphasizes that violations of traffic laws will be addressed with strict action.
In addition, once the lane is completely operational, speed cameras will be used to monitor traffic. After Ramazan, the roads will be declared by the strict application of safety belts, speed limits and other traffic regulations.
The motorcyclists in Rawalpindi have expressed their satisfaction with the newly introduced lane, but some citizens have expressed concerns about the service path or the link road along the track from Gulzar-E-QAID to the flight club, since vehicles that pass through this area can interrupt the soft traffic flow and increase the risk of the accused.
Citizens have urged authorities to address this problem as well.
The Punjab government initiative to create the green motorcyclist lane eliminating the invasions and focus on the convenience of citizens is worthy of praise, but the government needs to address any failure in the pilot project in the following phase to guarantee the safety and well -being of the people of Punjab, they add.
