Chaotic traffic

Traffic flow in Lahore, as in other big cities of the country, is disorderly — reportedly due to hotchpotch coordination between the relevant departments, lack of interest at the official level and corruption. This is resulting in frequent and long traffic snarl-ups leading to waste of time and the costly fuel. Attempts have been made to improve matters but most such efforts have met with partial success. In 1993, a traffic improvement project was launched with financial assistance of the World Bank. The idea was to overcome traffic bottlenecks through the use of modern technology. The plan was to be competed in two phases. The scheme was, however, abandoned after 80% of its Phase-1 was completed, as the authorities preferred to build overpasses, underpasses and pedestrian bridges to ease the traffic congestion. This did not prove a workable solution to the problem. Then officials visited Western countries to observe their efficient traffic management system, but failed to replicate the system in the country.

Now like in most government departments in the country, traffic, for the most part in the city, is controlled manually. Little of modern technology is being used to streamline the chaotic traffic. While the number of vehicles keeps on increasing, there is no corresponding improvement in traffic management. There is a severe mismatch between the growing volume of vehicular traffic and the system to control it properly. Commuters are often stuck in traffic jams for hours together. People are forced to do a lot of running around due to lack of smooth flow of traffic. Excruciating delays are caused in getting things done. Serious patients needing urgent medical attention are the worst sufferers as ambulances are stuck in the clogged traffic. Sometimes the consequences of this are grave. The state of road traffic in other cities is no better either. Some people are in the habit of violating traffic rules. What comes as a shocking surprise is that the educated leaves the uneducated far behind. The latter can’t read traffic signs.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2021.

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