LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has nearly finalised the approval for commercial activities on eight key roads in the Punjab capital, subject to compliance with stringent parking and environmental regulations under the land-use and building regulations.

The decision was discussed in a public hearing organised by the National Engineering Services Pakistan.

The roads earmarked for legal commercialisation include Khayaban-i-Firdausi (from Shouq Chowk to Shaukat Khanum Hospital), Abul Hassan Asfhani Road (from Akbar Chowk to Shabbir Usmani Road), Main Boulevard Sabazazar Scheme (from Fawara Chowk to Multan Road), Wahdat Road (from Naqsha Stop to Multan Road Chungi), Qazi Esa Road (from Maulana Shaukat Ali Road to Abul Hassan Asfhani Road), Campus Bridge Road (from Y-Junction to Canal Bank Road), Tolinton Market Road (from LOS Chowk to Jail Road), Shah Jilani Road (from College Road to Humdard Jail Road), and Humdard Jail Road (from Pindi Stop to Sector D-II).

“Up to 80pc of certain stretches on these roads have long been used for commercial purposes unlawfully. These illegal activities contribute nothing to the government’s treasury. This is why we decided to bring such activities under a legal framework to generate revenues,” said LDA Director General Tahir Farooq in a statement to Dawn.

He said LDA’s enforcement wing is being strengthened to curb further illegal commercial activities in the city. “We have also decided not to allow any sort of commercial activities on roads where such activities are already banned,” he added.

A senior town planning wing official said the public hearing aimed to gather input from stakeholders. The decision to legalise commercial activity under these conditions was approved by the LDA’s governing body in a meeting last week.

Chief Town Planner-II Azhar Ali said the commercialisation of these roads was expected to generate Rs7bn in revenue during the ongoing fiscal year, with around 2,500 business premises being covered. He said only those buildings whose owners provide a 30-foot setback — 20 feet for car parking and 10 feet for pedestrians — within their premises will be granted commercial status to prevent traffic congestion in front of the buildings.

Building owners will be required to install solar panels on their premises and develop rooftop gardens. They must also plant five trees in front of their buildings to help maintain the environment.

Stakeholders expressed concerns over the stringent conditions imposed on commercial activities.

“We informed them that they will need to comply with all these legal formalities and conditions before their premises could be granted commercial status,” Mr Ali said.

He said the LDA’s governing body had, in January, approved the imposition of penalties on those involved in unauthorised land-use conversions for commercial purposes. This decision was made after the LDA briefed its governing body that the existing LDA Land Use Conversion Regulations, 2020, lacked provisions to penalise those engaging in illegal commercial activities.

According to the proposal, the LDA Act-1975 authorises the town planning wing to take action against illegal land use conversion and commercialisation, which are considered cognisable offences. The proposal says the wing currently employs measures such as sealing properties, registering FIRs, marking properties with caution notices, and disconnecting services to address illegal land use conversions. However, under the existing LDA Land Use Rules 2020 and LDA Land Use Regulations, there is no provision for imposing fines or penalties. This gap has highlighted the need to introduce penalties to enforce compliance more effectively.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2024