Though you can find horrific traffic jams all over the city the chaos and the madhouse at Thokar Niazbeg is a class of its own. There are six roads from different directions that meet here, creating a ghastly traffic jam that lasts for long periods of time. There is a massive overhead bridge constructed, to help in extrication the traffic, but it serves no purpose as it remains clogged due to regular, inconvenient and irresponsible construction. Even now, a half-made drain under the dual road has been left open and unattended. It’s waiting for a major accident to occur before it attracts the attention of the authorities.
The lack of any traffic wardens adds to the commuters’ discomfort and holds up traffic for long periods with no way out, as there are no wardens to guide the motorists. The traffic wardens do show up from time to time, but when there is VIPs movement. These VIP’s move in comfort not knowing what the general public faces at this crossing in a standard day. In Pakistan, which is a poor country, with so little budget, we see these growths (overheads) that cost millions of rupees and serve very little purpose. There seems to be no solution to this bottleneck traffic jam which could have been resolved by the widening of roads and the overhead bridge with some management and some traffic wardens.
IFTEKHAR A KHAN,
Lahore, October 13.