Traffic police inefficiency causes worst traffic mess

LAHORE - The Provincial metropolis witnessed the worst traffic chaos throughout the day due to traffic police's failure to ensure necessary traffic arrangements regarding Lawyers' Long March here on Wednesday. The city roads will face more traffic disarray on Thursday (today) as traffic police authority has not carved out alternative route plan to keep the traffic steady and smooth Since morning all thoroughfares even the linked roads started getting chocked. Long traffic queues were observed for many hours .Ambulances were also found trapped .Even the insides roads were found inching forwarded making the traffic as nightmare for motorcyclists and car-riders. As the befitting traffic plan had not been devised despite an expected increase of traffic burden on city roads in the wake of Long March, traffic remained stranded making the road users a true picture of hopelessness. Chief Traffic Officer Ghulam Ahmed Dogar told the Nation commenting on the traffic disorder that The Mall road was blocked partially which shifted the traffic burden on other roads. He said that alternative route plan could not be firmed up as for this, new roads would be required. He said "we have to go with the existing infrastructure of the roads and traffic police is making all out efforts to keep the traffic smooth." The Mall road, Ferozepur road, Jail road, Maulana Shaukat Ali Road, Ravi Road, G. T road Main Boulevard road, Allama Iqbal Road, Multan road faced the worst traffic congestion. Experts say that there is a combination of poor understanding of traffic regulations, outdated traffic infrastructure, inadequate public transport facilities, an abundance of easily available automobiles and automobile dependant urban sprawl, amongst many other things, which contributes to the present crises situation. They say that unless problems of engineering of roads and traffic management are addressed properly, the issue will not be resolved It may be recalled that traffic mess has become a routine matter. Whenever traffic burden increases on roads or latter are blocked for the smooth movement VIPs traffic mess is sure. The traffic congestion also added to air and noise pollution.

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