Tepa seeks relocation over parking, security

LAHORE: The Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (Tepa) of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has requested relocation of its offices citing security concerns as well as parking problems.

The agency has proposed that its offices currently located on Lytton Road be moved to Model Town Extension near the Nespak headquarters.

An application submitted to the LDA board in this regard argues that in the wake of the recent wave of terrorist attacks against public offices, concern for had attained added significance. Topographically, it says, the building now housing the Tepa offices is open on three sides. On the fourth, there are a religious seminary and an office of a religio- political party.

“The building does not have adequate setback that could have provided a safe distance in case of some terrorist activity next to it.

The offices as well as Tepa can become easy victims in such an eventuality,” the application reads.

For the time being, the Tepa, intends to place concrete blocks in front of the buildings to provide a buffer. This, however, will take the entire parking space so that parking of even the official vehicles would become a problem. The visitors already park their vehicles on the main road in front of the office building. This frequently results in traffic congestion on the particular segment of Lytton Road.

Tepa assistant engineer Israr Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the building at 5-C Lytton Road was purchased in 1990 to cater to the needs of a relatively compact research and planning unit. With the passage of time, however, Tepa’s role as well as the number of people working for it have expanded. The organisation now routinely undertakes execution of works in addition to its original function of planning.

He said that LDA’s director for estate management was approached with the request to provide an appropriate plot in some LDA scheme. In a letter issued in February he informed the Tepa that Plot No I, Block-N Model Town Extension Scheme, adjacent to the Nespak headquarters, was available. The plot measures 16 kanals, 14 marlas and 200 square feet.

The Tepa has now requested the LDA to approve the allocation of half of the plot for the construction of a building to house Tepa’s permanent offices.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2010.