The Mall: DCO rejects road renovation proposal

LAHORE: The district coordination officer on Friday rejected a proposal to reconstruct The Mall. An official familiar with the matter said the Rs300 million proposal was turned down for lack of funds. Another officer, however, said that another apprehension about the project had been a traffic nightmare considering several city roads were already partially closed on account of road works. The proposal had recommended that except a one-kilometre stretch – from Charing Cross to Governor’s House – the entire road, around 9 kilometres – from Mian Mir Bridge till Lower Mall – be reconstructed. The District Office (Roads-III) had prepared the proposal at the DCO’s instruction. The reconstruction would have cost more than Rs300 million. Another officer told The Express Tribune that an apprehension had been that if renovation of The Mall was started at this stage it would worsen traffic jams since traffic on Lower Mall and Ferozepur Road was already disrupted because of the Bus Rapid Transit System.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2012.