FAISALABAD, July 29: The district administration has decided to impose a ban on plying of donkey-carts in eight bazaars and the adjoining commercial markets to minimize the environmental pollution and for smooth traffic flow.

A spokesman for the district government said here on Thursday that a comprehensive plan had been chalked out to replace the donkey-carts in order to resolve the problems of traffic blockade.

He said in the first phase, the decision had been taken to ban plying of donkey-carts in eight bazaars of the city by replacing the animal-driven carts with auto-loaders. District Nazim Zahid Nazir had issued instructions for provision of 100 auto-loaders to owners of donkey-carts for which Rs5 million had been allocated as interest-free loans.

He said the SME Bank had been involved in this regard and auto-loaders would be provided on easy instalments. The prescribed forms for getting vehicles were being provided free of cost and a special counter to this effect had been set up in the office of the district coordination officer, the spokesman added.

He said after completing the task of provision of auto-loaders to a maximum number of donkey-cart owners, a complete ban would be imposed on plying of animal-driven carts in the city.

It may be noted here that citizens have been demanding the replacement of donkey-carts with auto-loaders or vans for the last many years, but lack of financial resources was a major hindrance. There are over 40,000 animal-driven carts in the city and the adjoining areas which hamper the smooth flow of traffic.

WORKERS RELEASED: As many as 15 powerloom workers who were rounded up by the factory area police for staging protest demonstrations and blocking roads, were released here on Thursday.