Lahore: Model Town Society to expand outer ring road

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE: The Model Town Society (MTS) will expand the outer ring road and its linking roads to facilitate the commuters who suffer from traffic jams, especially during peak hours.

The decision was taken as the number of vehicles present on the society’s roads dramatically increased after a large superstore was launched in the area. The town officials said more than 30,000 vehicles passed through the society, adding that the store caused an additional burden of about 10,000 vehicles. The traffic problems and the number of vehicles was also increased due to the increase in the number of visitors using the locality as a shortcut to Township, Faisal Town, Green Town and other nearby areas. The administration will spend about Rs 70 million on the project, which will start within a few weeks. The road would be expanded to 27 feet wide (an additional 7 feet).

The administration also plans to ban all forms of rickshaws and loader vehicles from entering the area and start a shuttle service to pick/drop locals to their desired destinations. This project is aimed at keeping outsiders out of the society. MTS President Colonel ® Tahir Kardar said the decision of expanding the road and restricting the entry was taken on the residents’ demand, adding that several complaints had been lodged over the increasing traffic jams. He said there were 4,000 registered members of the society. He said the presence of thousands of vehicles not only created traffic issues but also caused noise and air pollution. “The noise and air pollution get drastically increased by traffic jams. The commuters constantly honk their horns and emit several pollutants in the air,” Kardar concluded. afnan khan

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