LAHORE, March 10: Motorists faced a great deal of inconvenience owing to severe traffic congestion on various city thoroughfares on Saturday evening.

Long queues of vehicles, including ambulances, were seen stuck on The Mall, Davies Road, Canal Bank Road, Ferozepur Road, Gulberg’s Mian Boulevard, Jail Road, Mughlapura Link Road and Allama Iqbal Road (Garhi Shahoo) particularly after 8pm to 11pm when this report was filed.

The worst situation was seen on both sides of the Canal Bank Road between Shalimar and Dharampura underpasses and on Allama Iqbal Road and Ferozepur Road, where a rapid bus transit (RBT) project was being executed. Wardens seemed helpless in regulating the traffic. City Traffic Police (CTP) officials said a concert at a prestigious club on Canal Bank Road near Dharampura Underpass and closure of one side of Ferozepur Road near Naseeraad by TEPA for RBT project threw out of gear the vehicular traffic almost in the entire city.

A motorist who remained stuck in the traffic mess on Canal Bank Road and Davies Road for about two hours blamed CTP for failing to streamline the traffic.

“While coming from Johar Town and going to Cantonment via Dharampura, I first got stuck on The Mall Underpass for at least 45 minutes and later on Davies Road for at least an hour when I tried to reach my destination through an alternative route.

There was a long queue of traffic on Canal Bank Road towards Dharampura Underpass which pushed me to take Davies Road as an alternative but of little avail,” Mrs Azhar said.

A CTP official said that at least 5,000 passes had been issued to public for attending the musical concert of Ali Zafar at Royal Palm Golf and Country Club and an overwhelming response from the pass holders to make it to the venue almost simultaneously had led to traffic chaos. He said the closure of Ferozepur Road for the RBT work and usual weekend hustle and bustle also contributed to worsening the traffic woes.

TRAFFIC PLAN: The CTP has chalked out a comprehensive traffic plan during two-day visit of the Istanbul mayor to the provincial metropolis.

A source told Dawn that there would be “zero-traffic” protocol for the dignitary, whose visit had been declared as of a “State Guest” by the Punjab government.

He said vehicular traffic on New Airport Road, The Mall, Lower Mall, Yadgar Chowk, Canal Road, Raiwind Road and Shalimar Link Road would be completely banned to facilitate the movement of the Turkish guest on Sunday and Monday.

Three senior CTP officers, seven officers, 30 senior wardens and 413 wardens would perform duty from Lahore Airport to Pearl-Continental Hotel, from Pearl-Continental Hotel to Chief Minister’s Secretariat at 90-Shahra-i-Quaid-i-Azam and onward to Town Hall and Hazoori Bagh and from Hazoori Bgah back to Pearl-Continental Hotel on Sunday. Over 600 traffic wardens will perform duty on Monday.

LAHORE, March 10: Motorists faced a great deal of inconvenience owing to severe traffic congestion on various city thoroughfares on Saturday evening. Long queues of vehicles, including ambulances, were seen stuck on The Mall, Davies Road, Canal Bank Road, Ferozepur Road, Gulberg’s Mian Boulevard, Jail Road, Mughlapura Link Road and Allama Iqbal Road (Garhi Shahoo) particularly after 8pm to 11pm when this report was filed. The worst situation was seen on both sides of the Canal Bank Road between Shalimar and Dharampura underpasses and on Allama Iqbal Road and Ferozepur Road, where a rapid bus transit (RBT) project was being executed. Wardens seemed helpless in regulating the traffic. City Traffic Police (CTP) officials said a concert at a prestigious club on Canal Bank Road near Dharampura Underpass and closure of one side of Ferozepur Road near Naseeraad by TEPA for RBT project threw out of gear the vehicular traffic almost in the entire city. A motorist who remained stuck in the traffic mess on Canal Bank Road and Davies Road for about two hours blamed CTP for failing to streamline the traffic. “While coming from Johar Town and going to Cantonment via Dharampura, I first got stuck on The Mall Underpass for at least 45 minutes and later on Davies Road for at least an hour when I tried to reach my destination through an alternative route. There was a long queue of traffic on Canal Bank Road towards Dharampura Underpass which pushed me to take Davies Road as an alternative but of little avail,” Mrs Azhar said. A CTP official said that at least 5,000 passes had been issued to public for attending the musical concert of Ali Zafar at Royal Palm Golf and Country Club and an overwhelming response from the pass holders to make it to the venue almost simultaneously had led to traffic chaos. He said the closure of Ferozepur Road for the RBT work and usual weekend hustle and bustle also contributed to worsening the traffic woes. TRAFFIC PLAN: The CTP has chalked out a comprehensive traffic plan during two-day visit of the Istanbul mayor to

the provincial metropolis. A source told Dawn that there would be “zero-traffic” protocol for the dignitary, whose visit had been declared as of a “State Guest” by the Punjab government. He said vehicular traffic on New Airport Road, The Mall, Lower Mall, Yadgar Chowk, Canal Road, Raiwind Road and Shalimar Link Road would be completely banned to facilitate the movement of the Turkish guest on Sunday and Monday. Three senior CTP officers, seven officers, 30 senior wardens and 413 wardens would perform duty from Lahore Airport to Pearl-Continental Hotel, from Pearl-Continental Hotel to Chief Minister’s Secretariat at 90-Shahra-i-Quaid-i-Azam and onward to Town Hall and Hazoori Bagh and from Hazoori Bgah back to Pearl-Continental Hotel on Sunday. Over 600 traffic wardens will perform duty on Monday.