Walled City: Royal Trail restoration project ‘nearly complete’

57 streets with more than 800 properties have been restored.

LAHORE:

Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) Director General Kamran Lashari said on Thursday that the Royal Trail project launched in April 2012 was nearincomplete.

He said most electric power wires had been shifted underground and buildings had been decorated with flowers and plants.

“The Royal Trail restoration was a very complex project. We plan to make this area accessible for pedestrians. We will announce alternative routes for vehicles. After this, we plan shift the focus of the work from Chowk Kotwali to Lahore Fort,” he said.

The Royal Trail project started in April 2012 with an objective to improve infrastructure services and rehabilitation of building facades.

As many as 57 streets with more than 800 properties were restored.

Live wires outside buildings shifted underground from Delhi Gate to Chowk Kotwali.



The Royal Trail has become a popular attraction for tourists.

Many people visit the trail to take a tour of the Walled City and its monuments.

Shabbar Raza, a resident of the area, said, “For the first time the ugly-looking wires have been removed and buildings have renovated.”

Nauman Waseem, another resident, said, “The new electricity arrangements are working well. We were not expecting such a smooth change.”

Mudassar Chaudhry, another resident, said, “I see many tourists visiting the Royal Trail. This is an amazing site now. We enjoy living in this area. I have been living here since birth and I had never seen greenery and street lights here.”

Muhammad Javed, a shop owner, said, “I had initially opposed the project. We protested against it many times. We thought that the work would hamper our business. Our apprehensions have proved wrong. Our businesses were not affected. This renovation has had a good impact on our sales. Our shops are easily accessible to tourists now.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2014.