LAHORE: Lahore witnessed unprecedented traffic clogs on Tuesday due to closure of major roads in the wake of a cricket match of the Pakistan Super League tournament at Gaddafi Stadium.

Long queues of vehicles were seen on various stretches of Ferozepur Road, The Mall, Jail Road, Gulberg’s Main Boulevard, Wahdat Road and all roads leading to or connecting Gulberg with other parts of the city.

Several lanes in Garden Town, Muslim Town, Rehmanpura, Ichhra and Gulberg were also choked, leaving motorists stuck for hours. Traffic and Punjab police officials were found diverting traffic to detours after entry/exit points of most roads leading to Gulberg were blocked.

The worst situation was witnessed in Garden Town and Gulberg, as commuters were clueless about which route to take to reach their destinations. “First I was stuck on Peco Road and then Ferozepur Road. From here, police diverted the traffic to Garden Town. After finding several roads closed, I somehow managed to get to Canal Road from where I took the FC College underpass and subsequently Zahoor Elahi Road to enter Gulberg,” Muhammad Usman, a motorcyclist, said while narrating his ordeal. “We also love cricket, but the government should plan properly to ease mobility of people rather than leaving them marooned on roads on such occasions.”

Shahid Aslam, another motorist stuck in the gridlock in Garden Town, said the government should have announced local holidays on the days of the cricket matches. “Every road seems to be jammed here. I have to inquire after someone at a hospital on Jail Road and I don’t know when and how I will be able to get here,” he added.

Most police officials deputed at various spots to divert motorists to detours seemed to have come from another city. “You just turn into this street and find your way since I don’t know well about this locality,” a policeman said while arguing with a motorcyclist near Kalma Chowk underpass.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2018