FAISALABAD, Jul 6 (APP): With unbridled expansion and mounting population pressure, Faisalabad is gradually becoming a nightmare for residents after grappling with an unrelenting traffic crisis.
Once celebrating its grandeur for industrial vigor and economic promises, the unruly traffic in the city is badly disrupting routine life, hampering business activities and raisin concerns of public safety.
From congested intersections to reckless driving, the traffic chaos has left citizens frustrated with authorities scrambling for solutions and urban planners questioning sustainability of city’s infrastructure.
Especially during busy hours, the traffic shows no signs of easing as snarls, violations and honking rises question in citizens’ minds as for how long they have to endure this chaos.
Without immediate and decisive action, the city roads may soon reach a breaking point—leaving people trapped in an endless cycle of gridlock and despair.
This traffic mess is not just a matter of inconvenience; but has serious implications for economy, fuel bill, environment and mental health of people.
Muhammad Asif, a schoolteacher who navigates the city roads daily, starts facing ordeal moment when he steps out of his house.
“It takes me nearly an hour to cover a distance that should take 15 minutes”, Asif said, wiping sweat from his brow when he stuck at the Katchery Bazaar Chowk on Circular Road congested with cars, buses, rickshaws. “Even pedestrians jostle for space due to gridlocks that can take hours to clear.”
His sentiments echo across the city where long delays, incessant honking and jams have become a daily norm.
There are multiple reasons for this chaos like rapid urbanization, poor planning and a lack of enforcement. Over the years, the city population had swelled with thousands more vehicles adding to traffic annually.
Major arteries such as Jhang Road, Jaranwala Road, Samundri Road, Sargodha Road, Aminpur Road, Satiana Road, Circular Road, Rajbah Road, Jhumra Road and Samanabad Road are perennially clogged with bottlenecks forming at every major junction. Privately operated buses, rickshaws and Qingqi motorcycles weave in and out of traffic with little regard for lanes or signals.
“These drivers act like they own the road”, complained Saima Bibi, a college student who relies on public transport. “They stop wherever they want, block entire lanes and create jams just to pick up passengers.”
She said, absence of a regulated mass transit system forces citizens to depend on erratic modes of transport. “Lack of adherence to traffic rules and ineffective traffic management have aggravated this chaos.”
Traffic police, though present on scattered places, seem overwhelmed as traffic warden Rizwan Ali Khan remarks, “We do our best, but this much volume of vehicles is unmanageable. Much more traffic, too few roads and a general disregard for traffic laws always challenges us.”
“Violators least fear penalties. When we issue fines, political pressure forces us to cancel them. Then how to manage this,” he said.
The pedestrians are most vulnerable road users and they face brunt of disorder more than anyone else because zebra crossings are ignored; footpaths are encroached by vendors and speeding vehicles make road crossing, a perilous task.
“I fear for my life every time when I step onto road”, said elderly resident Ghulam Abbas who narrowly escaped a hit-and-run incident near Clock Tower. “There is no respect for pedestrians. Even footpaths are unsafe for either being broken or occupied by stalls. Encroachments are removed but they come back after a day or two because there is no follow-up. Even the traffic police seem helpless.”
Muhammad Arshad, a daily commuter said, “we have been complaining of this mess for years, but for no change. It’s like a cycle that never ends.”
Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) also raised the issue repeatedly with city authorities, but to no gain while urban planners argue describe Faisalabad’s traffic crisis is a symptom of deeper systemic failures.
“The city expanded haphazardly without proper zoning or transport planning”, explained a civil engineer Usama Naseer. “Faisalabad’s traffic mess is a classic case of urban planning gone wrong. City’s infrastructure has not kept pace with its growing population and increasing number of vehicles. We need a comprehensive and sustainable approach to address this issue.”
Rana Muhammad Akhtar, a local politician described steps by local authorities as a good omen but he said construction of flyovers and underpasses alone cannot be sufficient as far as strict implementation of traffic laws is not ensured.
He said the roads have been carpeted and widened in some areas. “But, we need more holistic approach and real investment in intelligent traffic systems, parking facilities and mass transit solutions.”
Muhammad Younus, a transportation expert, suggested improvement in public transportation system.” It will reduce number of private vehicles on the road, decrease congestion and promote environmentally-friendly and sustainable transportation.”
A spokesman of Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) mentioned to working on multiple fronts like signals upgrading, roads expansion, awareness campaigns and public transport network in city. “The Punjab government has evolved a comprehensive mass transit network – metro bus service – for Faisalabad and we hope visible improvement once this project completes.”
Thus, besides introducing a mass transit system, what we urgently need is proper implementation of traffic laws and strict action against violators.