LAHORE: The pilot project to allocate dedicated lanes for cyclists and motorcyclists on Ferozepur Road was formally launched to ensure smooth and uninterrupted traffic flow, reduce accidents and for safety of the commuters, especially those riding cycles and bikes.

The pilot project will lead to similar interventions on other major roads in Punjab capital, according to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officials.

“Under the pilot project, Ferozepur Road will soon have dedicated lanes, covered with low-height concrete walls on both sides, for the cyclists and motorcyclists, as the work has been launched by the team of LDA’s urban development wing,” an official source in the authority told Dawn on Monday.

According to him, the pilot project consists of four-kilometer-long lanes on both sides of the road from Kalma Chowk to Lahore Bridge (Qainchi). And upon success of this pilot activity, a regular project is likely to be launched on other major roads in the city, including Jail Road, The Mall, Multan Road, Wahdat Road and Canal Road.

LDA Director General Tahir Farooq also paid a visit to the pilot project site and inspected the ongoing work there. On this occasion, LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed and the Project Director Haroon Saifi briefed the DG on the development works.

“These lanes will be separated from the main road by using curve stones and eco-friendly blue paint. In the first phase, a four-kilometer-long lane is being built on both sides from Kalma Chowk to Lahore Bridge,” said Mr Saeed while briefing the DG. He said the bikers’ lane would be 12 feet wide and ease the commute for the people.

“The objective of promoting biker lanes is to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents,” he added.

MEETING: The 26th Board of Directors (BoDs) meeting of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) was held here at the Jilani Park Headquarters on Monday, presided over by PHA Chairman Ghazali Saleem Butt.

During the meeting, PHA DG Muhammad Tahir Watto briefed the board members on the agenda. After a consensus on the 34-point agenda, the meeting approved a raise in the monthly salary of daily-wage employees to Rs37,000.

An increase of 50 per cent allowance based on the 2022 basic salary formula was also approved for permanent employees.

The development and upgrade of parks, picnic points, and seating points was also approved at the meeting. The approval was also given to construction of a restaurant in Jilani Park (Racecourse) and a canal restaurant.

Additionally, the Horse and Cattle Show plan was also approved.

The meeting also discussed various proposals for the improvement of different PHA departments, including administration, coordination, M&O, engineering, marketing, and horticulture.

The board members provided updates on their respective projects during the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025