Chock-a-block: Traffic mess disrupts life in Lahore

Traffic police say devotees coming for Data Ganj Buksh’s urs have created an unusual rush

LAHORE: Though traffic police have made a comprehensive plan for the annual urs of Data Ganj Buksh, it still failed to maintain smooth flow of traffic on major roads on Friday a day before inauguration of celebrations.

Traffic on thoroughfares and commercial areas, including the Upper Mall Road, Lower Mall Road, Outfall Road, Circular Road, Temple Road, Lytton Road, Mozang Road, Queens Road and Canal Road, remained slow owing to mounting rush created by diversions. Various commuters complained about unusual rush in the city.

Muhammad Usman, a motorcyclist, said, “There is great traffic mess in the city today. Even motorbike riders are unable to make their way and move freely on city roads.”



City Traffic Officer Tayyab Hafeez Cheema said his department had completed arrangements for smooth flow of traffic during three days of 973rd Annual Urs Celebrations of Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh and Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain. He revealed two SPs, nine DSPs, 18 inspectors, 33 patrolling officers and 443 wardens would perform duties to maintain smooth traffic flow on alternate routes.

Two breakdown vehicles and six fork lifters had also been provided to remove faulty or wrongly parked vehicles from roads as four locations had been designated for visitors parking to avoid undue rush on roads.

CTO Cheema said thousands of devotees from all parts of the country and abroad would visit Data Darbar during the urs celebrations which cause unusual rush in the city, especially near the shrine, Karbala Gamay Shah and surrounding areas.”

As per the alternate traffic plan, he said, all types of traffic entering in the city from Shahdara would be diverted towards Lahore Railway Station from Azadi Chowk. Similarly, traffic entering from Niazi Shaheed Chowk would be diverted towards Saggian Bridge, while traffic coming from Chauburji Chowk would be diverted towards Sanda Road to Band Road, Civil Secretariat, Solicitor Office, LDA Office, Commissioner Office, Court Street, SSP Office and Outfall Road.

Heavy traffic coming from Kahna and Kasur areas would be diverted towards Chauburji, Samanabad Mor, Gulshan Ravi to Bund Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2016.