RAWALPINDI: The official launching ceremony for Saddar’s Bank Road pedestrian street will take place on February 26. Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz plans to lead the inauguration ceremony together with essential government representatives along with military personnel.
The Rs1.2 billion investment resulted in a one-kilometer shopping area that uses underground infrastructure and provides roomy walkways and modern lighting together with food kiosks. All electric shuttles of the street will operate in different blocks alongside Kashmir Road and Canning Road which both remain accessible to cars.
Bank Road development constitutes part of Rawalpindi’s commercial sector transformation. A key part of the project consisted of taking down above ground electricity cables and telephone wires followed by the implementation of underground cables instead. The project includes the establishment of executive washrooms together with seating areas and enhanced pedestrian infrastructure which aims to provide shoppers with a better shopping experience.
Through confirmation from Rashid Saqib at the Cantonment Board Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson position that such initiatives of pedestrian street exist at three more Rawalpindi locations on Haider Road, Adamji Road and Mall Road. The authorities launched a Rs4.38 billion plan to eliminate traffic signals from vital intersections on Mall Road.
The commercial sector on Bank Road maintains a critical stance towards the new pedestrian zone project which many consider a progressive urban development approach. The shopkeepers believe vehicle restrictions along with insufficient parking options have driven customers away from shopping areas.
Previous attempts to launch similar initiatives of pedestrian street in Rawalpindi have already occurred. Bank Road operation as a pedestrian-only zone made its appearance during 2015 but directors at authorities ended the initiative one year later after business organizations exerted force. The initiative during that time period covered areas from Capital Cinema to Kashmir Road while implementing entry gates and creating a seating spot beneath a peepal tree dating back to the last century near the National Bank of Pakistan.
