Insufficient U-turns means the MM Alam Road will remain a mess

[Salman]

LAHORE - The new design of the MM Alam Road has divided the city’s major commercial boulevard which is causing trouble to the commuters, residents and businessmen alike, stakeholders told Pakistan Today.

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The road which has the finest eateries, restaurants and shopping hubs is being renovated at a huge cost to the tune of Rs 300 million. The project, which is near completion, has been opened for traffic after a few weeks during which only single lane traffic was allowed. The Mini Market roundabout is still under construction, while Hussain Chowk at the other end is open for traffic. Footpaths and parking space are still under-construction.
However, the stakeholders have pointed out severe flaws in the plan and have termed it “counterproductive” in many respects.
Rehma Sajjad, a banker who commutes daily on the MM Alam Road, said the road had become narrower due to the divider and hence it was not possible to overtake other cars. “Since there is only one U-turn on the entire road, every time a vehicle turns, a long queue is formed behind it and that creates a bottleneck,” she added.
The business community is also not happy with the new design and say that their clientele has dropped.
“The planners have not understood the spirit of this road. Previously commuters would park the vehicle in front of the shop but now they have to take a long U-turn and that makes them change their mind. Moreover, the parking space has become limited and that makes it very inconvenient for the people to park their vehicles,” an owner of a renowned furniture shop situated on the road said.
The residents of Gulberg have also pointed out the same flaw of insufficient U-turns. “We have started using other roads to go to our houses because it takes us a lot more time when we use the MM Alam road. The residents who have the first right on the locality have been ignored totally,” Saad Cheema, a resident, said.
TEPA Chief Engineer Saeed Akhtar however said the road plan was made by technical experts and could be changed on the “wishes” of business community. “Let us train the people to drive according to plans instead of driving in chaos without a divider,” he said, adding that nothing was final and if there were enough recommendations, changes could be made.