Lahore: Citizens fume as Liberty traffic, parking become unbearable

[Naveed Yaseen]

* People demand multi-storey parking area in market centre
* Shopkeeper says parking limited to single storey to maintain area’s beauty
* Shoppers say gridlocks pose a security risk, surrounding roads also remain choked

LAHORE: With the advent of Eidul Azha sending crowds of shoppers pouring into Liberty, new highs have been set for traffic congestion and the lack of a proper parking area has become even more pronounced.

Shoppers and shopkeepers told Daily Times the market administration should have built a multi-storey parking facility where the current parking is located.

Security risk: Shahida Ikram, a shopper, told Daily Times the current traffic problems in the area might compromise shoppers’ security as terrorists could take advantage of the massive traffic and general commotion. She said the government and market administration should make a plan to cope with the problem for the sake of the citizens safety “before its too late”. “Development work for a multi-storey parking plaza a little away from the Liberty Chowk is underway but it would be a bad idea to see the completion of the plaza as the only solution to the problem,” she said.

Choked: Other roads in the area, including the Noor Jehan Road, remain choked at night, even on the working days, with the situation worsening on weekends. The parking ban around the Liberty and Babar plazas has further added to traffic problems, forcing people to use the sidewalk and parking on the roadside as far as Hussain Chowk. However, security agencies have banned access to parking lots in both plazas as part of the security measures to safeguard the main market area.

Beauty: Babar Ali Bhatti, Qaumi Tajir Ittehad leader in Liberty Market, told Daily Times the market committee had limited the current parking lot to the ground floor in order to maintain the beauty of the market. However, he said every one was “aware about the gravity of the situation and how things had gone wrong on previous occasions, in terms of security, in the area”, adding that the traffic issue had to be resolved “sooner or later”.

He said the previous government had spent Rs 145 million for the development of the parking place and that shopkeepers had planned a multi-storey parking plaza just opposite the current parking spot, which was even approved by the previous government, adding that the current government had immediately scrapped the project and started a similar project further away from the market. According to the shopkeepers’ estimates, over 4,000 people visit the market each day. That number has increased with Eidul Azha being right around the corner.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had earlier inaugurated a multi-storey parking area a little further from the previous parking point in August this year. Under the current plan, the government would build two such plazas in the area. The Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) has already started work for the development of the first plaza. The seven-storey parking plaza will be built on three Kanals and 16 marlas of land with Rs 500 million being spent on it. The building will be completed within a year and will accommodate 206 vehicles with an average parking time of 12 hours per day.The government aims to develop shops in the plaza’s basement first and second floors. The third, fourth and fifth floors and rooftop will be used as a parking area. The building design includes open stairwells and ramps, security devices such as road blockers, car scanners, CCTV cameras, public address system, fire alarms, fire fighting equipment, audio and emergency buttons to contact the booth or local police station, elimination of potential hiding places, such as under open stairs, facilities for the physically challenged citizens etc.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_1