LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the authorities for a strict action against smoke-emitting vehicles and motorcycles after Ramazan.

Justice Shahid Karim directed the chief traffic officer (CTO) and the transport department to seize the vehicles on violation. He also ordered the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to submit a traffic plan for schools.

He was hearing petitions regarding the prevention of smog and environmental pollution.

The judge observed that for the first time in a long while, he could see stars at night in Lahore.

“This is the result of everyone’s hard work. Well done,” he said, addressing the officials and lawyers of different departments present in the court.

The judge directed the LDA to fix all the spaces in front of existing schools in Gulberg.

A counsel for the LDA stated that the traffic in Gulberg school areas had been made one-way. He said there were 82 traffic congestion points in Lahore and added that a pilot project for tree plantation had also been initiated. He pointed out that three to four thousand vehicles usually arrived at Gulberg schools daily.

Justice Shahid Karim said if 4,000 cars were parked in such a small area of the city, imagine the level of pollution. He observed that the court had repeatedly stressed the need to implement a bus policy for schools. He said the traffic police were not established to manage school traffic.

Wasa’s counsel Mian Irfan Akram informed the court that a summary was being sent to the Planning and Development (P&D) Department for installing 200,000 water meters in the city.

The judge directed P&D to expedite the implementation of the summary.

He adjourned the hearing and sought an implementation report on its orders at the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025