LAHORE: Canal Road and adjacent arteries faced a nine-hour traffic gridlock on Monday after a trailer got stuck in the Campus Underpass early in the morning.

Police impounded the 16-wheeler and registered a case against the runaway driver who courted arrest in the afternoon.

Traffic snarls were seen on one side of canal road with some motorists preferred switching off their vehicles owing to different reasons. Some students who were going to appear in the CSS exams also lodged a protest at the scene after they failed to reach the centre.

Iqbal Town SP (Operations) Muhammad Iqbal said the driver of the trailer, who reached the city from Karachi to deliver a container loaded with pampers during his maiden visit, took the Canal Road.

He said the driver apparently misjudged the height of the underpass, crossed the blocker sign and rammed the vehicle into the underpass’ upper structure around 3am.

The SP said the driver fled the scene smelling the sensitivity of the situation.

He said the crane and bulldozers of City Traffic Police were dispatched to the scene to remove the container, but to no avail. The cranes, bulldozers and lifters of the City District Government were also used in pressing the container’s upper part.

He said the driver identified as Qudratullah of Swat was booked under Sections 290, 292, 279 and 427 of Pakistan Penal Code for committing gross negligence, damaging public property and causing inconvenience to motorists.

Iqbal said Qudratullah, who possessed HTV licence, was driving the vehicle of Mumtaz Ahmad of Karachi.

He said preliminary police investigation showed that a barrier earlier installed on Canal Road was destroyed in a traffic accident around two years ago and was not re-installed by the respective government agency.

The SP said the signboard was also found missing from the road.

The motorists coming from Thokar, Johar Town, Raiwind Road, Multan Road and adjoining areas got stuck in severe traffic congestion because of the blockade.

“It took me more than an hour to reach Campus Bridge from Jinnah Hospital and I got late from class,” said Irfan Ahmad of Johar Town.

He said the way a trailer driver entered the prohibited area showed negligence on the part of the CDGL and Traffic Engineering & Planning Agency as the underpass lacked barrier and warning bells.

The gridlock added to traffic load on Wahdat Road, Muslim Town and Garden Town streets.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2015

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