LAHORE, June 5: Traders refused to close down markets by 9pm at a meeting with the City District Government of Lahore on Thursday but assured “they would cooperate with the government in its energy conservation programme by attempting to consume 50 per cent less electricity in peak hours”.

The assurance was given at a meeting presided over by District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta and attended by the representatives of traders’ bodies of The Mall, Anarkali, Hall Road, Shadman, Gulberg’s Main and Liberty markets besides other trade centres.

Two traders who attended the meeting told Dawn traders reiterated their stance that owing to moving forward of clocks by an hour, their business hours had shrunk.

They said that a majority of the customers started coming to the markets after sunset. After moving forward of the clocks by an hour, now the sun sets at around 8.30pm that means traders have half-an-hour for business. They said traders also offered them to make alternate arrangements and not to use electricity from Wapda.

The DCO informed the participants that work would soon be started for the provision of latest facilities like metered parking, ventilation systems, parking lots, public toilets and security cameras at all commercial centres and markets of Lahore.

He asked traders to identify within 24 hours places in the city where sewerage water was accumulated so that measures could be taken to improve the situation before the start of the monsoon.

The DCO also proposed that uniform size and design of signboard be finalised and got approved from the city district government.

He asked Qaumi Tajir Ittehad President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh and District Officer (Labour) Naeem Chaudhry to point out appropriate places near markets and commercial centres where traders and customers could park their vehicles.