A stretch of about six kilometres from Thokar Niazbeg to Chung on Multan Road is a nightmare to navigate
LAHORE: Multan Road serves as the major entrance and exit of the provincial capital towards downcountry. A road stretch of about six kilometres from Thokar Niazbeg to Chung is a nightmare to navigate. Government offices are located on this stretch of road, such as the newly established NAB office, the NHA office, NLC Port (Custom House), a bus stand, a motorway police kiosk, and a police training centre. Facing Multan, the road on the left of the median has two lanes, used by long-bodied buses and trailers. Buses go back and forth to the bus stand and trailers to the NLC dry port, making difficult U-turns. To facilitate road users, a lane needs to be added on both sides of Multan Road from the motorway overhead bridge to Chung.
Conversely, on Raiwind Road, all encroachments have been removed, many shops demolished, compensations paid, bridges reconstructed and widened, and double-way roads expanded on both sides. A huge ornamental roundabout has been built from where the road leads to the Sharifs’ homes, not to mention the extension of the motorway overhead bridge on Multan Road to another such bridge on the canal bank, costing Rs3.39 billion to facilitate the free run to Raiwind. Compare the ways of our democratic rulers with miseries of the common people who elect them.
Iftekhar A Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2016.
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