Traffic signal project shelved

LAHORE - The traffic signal project ‘Electromagnetic Integrated Traffic Management System’ introduced to address the complex traffic problems in the city has been shelved.

The Urban Unit, TEPA and LDA were awarded the task to complete the project but due to improper consultancy it already delayed for one year. The American consultants worked on the project and they estimated revised cost Rs1 billion for the project. Initially, the implementation cost of the project was set at Rs500 million but with the delay of one year, the cost increased to Rs1 billion. It is feared that after further delay the cost would reach up to Rs1.5 billion.

The project was meant to streamline signal-sending system among all the traffic signals through establishing a central room. The central room was to readjust the traffic signals in the light of receiving messages and inform vehicular traffic in advance about the traffic situation on all roads helping motorists set their route plan.

The Urban Unit had planned the project by making its designs and conducting feasibility reports. TEPA had been hired to construct the required infrastructure at a 12-kilometre-long road segment starting from Qurtaba Chowk to Qainchi Amer Sidhu and on all the roads linked to Ferozpur Road, being the longest road of the City.