Intercity mass transit system urged

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Dr Athar Waheed has suggested linking nearby cities to Lahore through an electric bus and metro train network for curbing carbon emission and easing traffic congestion around the provincial capital.

According to the CTO, around 800,000 to one million vehicles enter Lahore daily, while 400,000 to 500,000 leave the city. This massive traffic flow has been contributing significantly to smog, traffic jams, and road accidents, especially on the city's entry and exit routes.

As per the proposal, in the first phase, an e-bus service will connect Lahore with Kasur, Nankana Sahib, and Sheikhupura, while the second phase will include an intercity train network.

Meanwhile, at least 11 people died, whereas 1,844 were injured in 1,492 Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in Punjab during the last 24 hours. Out of these, 838 people with serious injuries were shifted to hospitals, while 1,006 victims with minor injuries were treated at the incident sites by Rescue Medical Teams.

Rescue data showed that 978 adult and 75 underage drivers, 203 pedestrians, and 674 passengers were among the victims.

The statistics showed that 251 RTCs were reported in Lahore, which affected 336 persons, followed by Multan and Faisalabad.

Of the victims, 1,448 were male and 407 female, while 334 of them were under 18 years of age, 1,011 between 18 and 40 years and 510 above 40 years.