Signal-free corridor: ‘Jail Road Project is harmful to environment’

LHC to resume hearing today.

LAHORE: The Jail Road Signal-Free Project is harmful to the environment. It is being carried out illegally by usurping funds allocated for areas other than Lahore, Advocate Salman Akram Raja said on Monday.

A full bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday heard petitions challenging the project.

Raja represents IA Rehman, Imrana Tiwana, Ayaz Amir, Faryal Ali Gohar and 15 others who have challenged the project.



“According to a study, only eight per cent of people have their own cars in the city. The project would add to the miseries of the majority in order to facilitate the minority. According to a study by a university in Karachi, signal-free roads replace minor road accidents with major accidents. The Jail Road Signal-Free Project would give rise to traffic jams at Qurtaba Chowk and Liberty Chowk,” Raja said.

He said there were three traffic signals on Gulberg’s Main Boulevard from Siddique Trade Centre to Liberty Roundabout. “Despite the presence of these signals, there are frequent traffic jams in the area. If these traffic signals are removed, the heavy traffic will create more congestion at the Liberty Roundabout and Kalma Chowk,” he said.

Raja said that the environmental impact assessment of the project was carried out illegally. He also questioned the legal authority of by Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to carry out the project. “The authority can only carry out such projects under local governments which are not in place. Also, the schedule for local elections has been announced. Therefore, such development projects should be suspended,” he said.

He said the LDA’s jurisdiction had been extended to Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib. “The authority is ignoring these areas and using their funds on a particular area of Lahore,” he said.

The hearing was then adjourned for Tuesday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2015.