Traffic gridlocks are not new to Lahoris but nowadays the provincial capital is witnessing massive traffic jams on important city roads mainly due to different protests and ongoing development projects.
Even the traffic police and other departments concerned have failed to run the traffic smoothly leaving Lahoris helpless in the middle of the roads.
Talking to Daily Times, commuters were of the view that the police should have prepared diversion plans to facilitate the citizens. They strongly criticised the provincial government and the traffic police for not managing the situation on city roads.
The said traffic jams were one of the reasons for an increase in noise and air pollution in the city and imposing an extra burden on commuters’ pocket as vehicles stuck n traffic jams continue to consume costly fuel.
“Poor management on part of traffic police, road works, bad civic sense and protest demonstration on the main roads are to be blamed for this wastage of black gold and precious time of the commuters,” they said, adding that for the last couple of weeks, commuters were experiencing massive traffic jams on city’s main as well as link roads not only due to development project but several protest demonstrations also.
Though the city was facing severe traffic problems for the last many weeks but police have had not succeeded to ease out citizens from trouble which was creating abnormality in the smooth flow of traffic flow.
A senior police officer, seeking anonymity, said that a peaceful protest is right of every one but police were involved in performing so many duties such as maintaining the situation of law and order, traffic flow on roads, security threats, security duties and VIP protocol to name a few.
Huge traffic jams on The Mall, Jail Road, Davis Road, Muslim Town, Ferozepur Road, Empress Road, Mcleod Road, Abbot Road and its linking arteries continue to irk citizens.
Sources said People were facing immense problems in reaching their destinations on time and they were being forced to use alternative routes. The citizens have demanded the provincial government to take notice of traffic jams that have become permanent source of nuisance for them.
Meanwhile, Traffic Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Captain (r) Syed Ahmed Mobin has said that traffic is moving smoothly across the city and traffic wardens are performing duties to provide best driving facilities to motorists on a daily basis.
“Traffic stumbles only during protests or when a rally covers main roads and police have to place barricades to provide alternative route to citizens.” However, he said that more traffic wardens were being deputed on city roads to maintain traffic flow in the city.
