LAHORE: The Lahore Conservation Society (LCS) and other civil society activists have rejected the Lahore Elevated Expressway being planned by the government to connect Gulberg with M-2 Motorway.

The Punjab government is planning to launch the elevated expressway project on a priority basis to provide hassle-free access to motorists from Gulberg to M-2 and to decrease the traffic burden on the Canal Road and Multan Road.

As per the plan, the elevated expressway will pass over Canal Bank Road, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Multan Road and Bund Road to reach Babu Sabu. Interchanges will also be constructed on Canal Road, Jail Road, Ferozepur Road, Multan Road and Bund Road to link different areas to the expressway.

In 2016, a majority of the participants, including stakeholders, in a public hearing had rejected the project and termed it unfeasible and damaging to the residential localities, as well as the environment. They had urged the government to drop the idea, as it was of no use.

LCS spokesperson Dr Ajaz Anwar says the project was proposed during the last government and was shelved after the strong reaction from the civil society. He says the same bureaucrats were again floating the idea to the current government and the major reason for starting the project again was the exponential profits for the government-run companies.

He says the government has been talking about the increasing population and expansion of the city.

“If we closely observe, one or two people use a car for travelling in the city, while a bus carries minimum 42 seated passengers and more than 20 others can stand in it,” he argues, saying the government should launch more bus services for the people rather than building elevated expressways and further polluting the environment of the city which had already become toxic.

He says such projects will only earn profit for some companies and representatives of the government, while the public will have to pay for the negative impact they will have.

Advocate Rafay Alam says the government could not start the elevated expressway project because the petitioners had got a stay order from the Lahore High Court against it.

He says that in December 2021, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) chief had also submitted in the court that the authority was not pursuing any project.

He says the project first came into public space in 2014 when there was no Orange Line train and a need was felt to have an easy access to the Ring Road from Gulberg. However, after the completion of the train project, there was no need to start the express project because one could easily reach M-2 by using the signal-free corridor, he adds.

He says they will file a contempt of court plea if the government initiates the project.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2022