LAHORE: The Lahore divisional administration has given a go-ahead to the departments concerned for launching pilot projects in order to ease the public mobility and access to various destinations keeping in view the problems related to traffic flow and engineering, parking and indication of places.

Various roads, intersections and congestion points have been discussed in a meeting presided over by the Lahore commissioner, according to officials.

The meeting also discussed the parking issues and proposed parking plazas at some places, including Anarkali, an official, privy to the meeting, told Dawn.

Proposed parking plaza at Anarkali discussed

“The Lahore Parking Company (LPC) has been asked to prepare a pilot project if it wants to construct a parking plaza at Anarkali, a place that is considered to be one of the hectic ones in the city in view of the traffic congestion and pelican crossings,” the official added.

“In the meeting held on Thursday, the participants initially proposed pilot projects from Multan Road to Peeco Road, including Maulana Shaukat Ali Road that links the Canal Road. At these roads, there is a proposal to fix electronic signboards for displaying names of roads, intersections and pedestrian crossings on the pattern of international metropolitan cities. Likewise, some intersections of these roads will have traffic signals or U-turns under the pilot projects,” the official said.

He said there was also a plan to have a pedestrian bridge in front of the Jinnah Hospital’s main gate as people have to cross the road for buying medicines which caused usual traffic congestion on the spot. He said though the participants also discussed the Ferozepur Road, Jail Road and some other roads, the selection or identification of such places were left at the disposal of the departments concerned.

He said the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL), Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa), traffic police and the LPC had been directed to coordinate with each other for preparing pilot projects by identifying the important places suitable for such interventions.

“On May 5, a follow-up meeting will be held during which the departments will submit their projects,” the official added.

REVIVAL: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) revived its Directorate of Land Development-II, appointing Riaz Ejaz (BPS-18 officer of provincial service) as its director after he joined the department on deputation.

The DLD-II, which was dealing with the affairs of various LDA-owned residential schemes, including Gulberg and Upper Mall, had earlier been merged with the DLD-III.

According to a spokesman, the LDA also entrusted database administrator Abdul Basit Qamar with the additional charge of director (computer services).

Meanwhile, service of 75 LDA officials has been regularised. The officials include six deputy directors (BPS-18) and 69 assistant directors of BPS-17.

DENGUE: A team of the Samanabad Town Administration, led by the deputy district officer (health), registered an FIR against owners of a private schools’ network and food distribution setup for dengue steps violations.

According to officials, the action was taken after the team visited the places and found dengue larvae.

Moreover, Lahore DCO retired Captain Muhammad Usman spoke to a seminar on dengue at a local college.

HELD: A team of the CDGL’s Gulberg Town ordered arrest of six workers at two parking stands in Gulberg for overcharging the motorists.

The parking stands were at the Siddique Trade Centre and Al-Atiq Centre. Price control magistrates sent 48 shopkeepers in police custody for overcharging in various open markets of the city. They also imposed Rs142,100 fine on several others.

MEAT: A CDGL’s livestock team conducted raids in various localities of the city and seized 1,800kg of unhygienic meat.

The team also ordered the arrest of six persons involved in selling the unhygienic meat besides disposing of the seized meat into the Ravi.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2015

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