PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday warned that if any building map was approved without parking facilities, strict action would be taken against the relevant officials.

The warning was issued during a high-level meeting regarding traffic issues in the provincial capital, according to an official statement.

The chief minister also ordered the identification of suitable parking space on the University Road in the provincial capital and measures to streamline movement of push-carts, saying designated areas should be allocated for them.

He said that pushcarts were linked to the livelihood of poor people, so they could be streamlined and not banned.

Mr Gandapur also ordered the removal of encroachments from service and link roads and said the relevant laws should be strictly enforced.

The cabinet members, MNAs and MPAs from Peshawar, chief secretary, administrative secretaries of the relevant departments, representatives of local government, and other senior officials attended the meeting.

The meeting involved a detailed review of the committee`s report on traffic issues in Peshawar. Relevant officials also briefed the participants on the legal framework regarding vehicular traffic, root causes of traffic issues in Peshawar, and the proposed traffic plans.Short-term and mid-term traffic plans were approved in the meeting to resolve traffic issues on a permanent basis, deciding that after implementing these proposed plans, a long-term plan would be devised and implemented. The plans suggest short-term and long-term actions for a sustainable solution to traffic problems in the provincial capital. Responsibilities of all relevant departments and institutions have been clearly defined for implementing the plans, and timelines have been set for the fulfillment of these responsibilities.

The meeting decided that a robust monitoring mechanism would also be established to supervise the implementation of those plans.

The chief minister instructed authorities to immediately initiate implementation of the proposed plans and said progress would be regularly reviewed to ensure compliance.`A special package for Peshawar will be included in the upcoming Annual Development Programme, he said, urging the elected public representatives to rise above politics and play their respective role in the improvement and beautification of Peshawar.

The chief minister, while referring to initiatives to improve traffic flow in Peshawar, said that the expansion of BRT and construction of three underpasses on University Road would bring significant improvements.

He stressed the need for developing overhead bridges and zebra crossings in Peshawar and said cost estimates for the purpose should be presented before him for approval.

He said the government would provide the necessaryresourcesforthe purpose.

Briefing participants on major ongoing road projects in Peshawar, officials said that the missing link ofRing Road up to Nasir Bagh would be completed by the end of the current month, and work on the road from Nasir Bagh to Takhta Baig was progressing rapidly.

They also said a separate road was being constructed to connect the Industrial Estate Hayatabad to Ring Road.

The officials revealed speedy progress on the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor and said all those projects would help provide a permanent solution to traffic problems.

The chief minister ordered a complete ban on public transport vehicles on BRT routes and called for a zero-tolerance policyinthatrespect.

He ordered the review of the current traffic challans and said fines should be set according to vehicle value to prevent illegal parking.

The chief minister directed authorities to present a realistic plan for covering manholes in the city and assured that the govern-ment would provide the necessary resourcesforthispurpose.

He also ordered action against drug dealers and urged elected representatives to fully cooperate with authorities.

`Drug dealers are enemies of our generations, so we must all unite against them,` he said.

The meeting also approved the introduction of a specific colour scheme to streamline rickshaws and said that the matter of rickshaw registration should be presented in the cabinet meeting. It also granted approval to the regulation of taxi services and registration of e-bikes.

The meeting approved the rationalisation of U-turns and adopted a zero tolerance policy against illegal parking and unauthorised stands.

The chief minister also ordered a realistic plan for installing traffic lights and signals, emphasising that experts from the relevant field shouldbe hiredforthis purpose.