LAHORE, May 2: Commuters and motorists desirous to approach the Walled City and Badami Bagh from southern parts of Lahore and vice versa remained stuck for over three hours as traffic on the roads connecting The Mall remained suspended on Wednesday during the lawyers’ rally.

Traffic police had started erecting barricades at around 9.30am at intersections near the MAO College and Lower Mall police station, near Punjab Ombudsman office on Bank Road, Mozang Adda on Fane Road, Safanwala Chowk on Temple Road, near Civil Lines police station on Queen’s Road. Nabha and Mauj Darya roads had been closed for traffic for the last over a week when the thoroughfare was dug up to construct a rainwater drain there.

Shortage of private transport added to the hardships of commuters as owners of wagons had kept their vehicles off the road since morning, keeping in view the experience of the April 24 rally. The worst sufferers were the girl students of schools near the Central Police Office, Mauj Darya and Lake roads besides Chauburji Quarters who had to wait for two to three hours in the sun. The plight of people wanting to reach cities like Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Narowal was no different.

Trader Arshad told this reporter by phone that he reached his shop at Shahalam in four hours from Allama Iqbal Town.