Severe Traffic Congestion on Mansehra’s Silk Route: Commercial Plazas Rise as Roads Remain Narrow, Leaving Citizens Struggling

Mansehra (Special Report): Despite the city’s growing population and expanding commercial activities, Mansehra continues to face serious shortcomings in its basic infrastructure. Traffic jams have become a routine problem, even during normal hours and school opening and closing times. Encroachments, deteriorating roads and poorly maintained footpaths have further aggravated the situation.
The worsening traffic situation on Mansehra’s key thoroughfare, the Silk Route (Shahrah-e-Resham), has become a major concern for residents. Despite the rapid growth of commercial activities and the construction of large markets, modern commercial plazas and shopping malls, there is an urgent need for effective measures to expand road capacity, improve traffic management and provide citizens with essential transport facilities. Traffic congestion frequently reaches such levels that long queues of vehicles form, forcing commuters to spend considerably more time reaching their destinations.
The Silk Route is one of Pakistan’s important highways, carrying a large volume of traffic daily, including cars, motorcycles, passenger vehicles and pedestrians. The expansion of commercial activities and the growing number of commercial buildings along the route have further increased traffic pressure. However, road capacity, parking facilities and traffic management infrastructure have not improved at the same pace, leaving residents facing increasing difficulties.
The situation becomes particularly severe during school opening and closing hours, when students, parents, teachers and other commuters travel simultaneously. The growing number of vehicles, haphazard parking, encroachments and obstructions to the smooth flow of traffic frequently lead to congestion on the Silk Route. Traffic pressure remains high even during regular hours, disrupting daily routines and wasting the valuable time of businesspeople, employees, students and travellers.
According to local residents, the construction of large commercial plazas, markets and shopping malls should have been accompanied by proper planning for the expected increase in traffic, vehicle parking and pedestrian movement. However, the limited road capacity and expanding commercial activities have intensified transportation problems. Without corresponding improvements in roads, parking and traffic management, the burden of commercial growth ultimately falls on ordinary citizens.
The absence of facilities such as underpasses and flyovers along the Silk Route has also raised questions about the modernisation of the city’s traffic system. Residents believe that Mansehra, being an important urban centre, requires long-term planning to address increasing traffic pressure. Such planning should prioritise smoother traffic flow, alternative routes, improved intersections, adequate parking and modern infrastructure wherever necessary.
The condition of footpaths for pedestrians is another issue requiring urgent attention. At several locations, residents face difficulties using footpaths and crossing roads safely. Existing footpaths need to be improved and made accessible so that pedestrians, particularly elderly people, women, children and school students, can travel safely. When footpaths are obstructed or occupied by encroachments, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road, increasing traffic pressure and the risk of accidents.
Residents have also expressed concern over the overall condition of Mansehra’s roads and the slow pace of improvements to basic urban infrastructure. According to local residents, more serious efforts should have been made over the past 15 to 20 years to upgrade the road network in line with the city’s growing population, expanding commercial activity and increasing number of vehicles.
They argue that urban development cannot be measured solely by the construction of new buildings and commercial centres. Wider roads, effective drainage systems, adequate parking, well-maintained footpaths and an organised traffic management system are equally essential for a city’s sustainable development.
Encroachments and inadequate parking arrangements are among the major factors contributing to traffic congestion on the Silk Route. Unnecessary roadside obstructions and improperly parked vehicles further reduce the already limited road space. The traffic police and relevant municipal authorities therefore need to adopt an effective strategy to maintain traffic flow, prevent encroachments and organise parking facilities. It is also essential to ensure that commercial buildings comply with applicable parking and other regulatory requirements.
Residents point out that Mansehra is an important commercial and tourist city through which travellers heading to various destinations also pass. Poor road conditions and traffic congestion consequently affect not only local residents but also visitors, commuters and business activities. Without timely intervention, the challenges could become even more complicated as the population and number of vehicles continue to increase.
Citizens and business representatives have urged the district administration, relevant municipal authorities, the Communication and Works Department, and senior traffic police officials to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Silk Route and other major roads in Mansehra. They have called for practical, long-term measures to address traffic problems, including indiscriminate legal action against encroachments, prevention of illegal parking, restoration of footpaths, strict enforcement of traffic laws and special traffic arrangements during school hours.
Residents have also demanded a comprehensive traffic master plan for Mansehra that takes the city’s future needs into account. The proposed plan should assess road expansion, the development of alternative routes, the establishment of designated parking areas, improvements to major intersections and the possible construction of underpasses or flyovers where required. Particular attention should also be given to repairing deteriorated roads and providing safe pedestrian pathways.
According to local residents, the true measure of development is not merely the construction of towering plazas, modern markets and shopping malls. It also lies in establishing an urban system that enables people to commute, conduct business and carry out their daily activities without unnecessary difficulties.
It remains to be seen when the relevant authorities will take practical steps to address the growing traffic crisis on Mansehra’s Silk Route and resolve the city’s wider infrastructure problems. Residents hope that their concerns will be taken seriously and that sustainable projects will be launched to ease congestion, eliminate encroachments and improve mobility throughout the city.
The key question remains: As commercial buildings and plazas continue to rise in Mansehra, are the city’s basic infrastructure, wider roads, footpaths and modern traffic management systems receiving the same level of priority?