Q: What is the Role of Government In traffic management ?
Traffic Management is basically the management of road network .As Lahore is considered the quite bigger as compared to other cities of Pakistan and beautiful as well So, managing the road network in Lahore is not an easy task .It is a complex task requiring consideration of many issues. Today most of the traffic problem in Lahore is due to the negligence in the duties of traffic wardens. All of the traffic wardens performing their duties in Lahore their integrity can’t be questioned over here few traffic wardens are conscious about their jobs and obeying their duty with honesty but most of them show reckless behavior while performing their duties. Almost 300 wardens of the traffic of City police Lahore have been performing their duties for last one year without getting basic Training, which is mandatory under Police rules. These untrained traffic did not know about the traffic rules and regulations don’t know about what codes to be applied on traffic violations some of them even don’t know report writing. Most of the wardens in Lahore are sent to their duties at major roads with no knowledge. As, most of the wardens standing on traffic signal are not literate that’s why massive traffic jam is observed daily. Lack of proper training is also a contributing factor to their deteriorating performance. According to an official record, around 600 wardens excluding 3000 have either resigned or joined other departments or have been dismissed from service. Apart these issues most of the traffic wardens are seen neglecting their duties gossiping with one another or attending phone calls away from their duty.
The Punjab Government have taken strong positive steps to eliminate traffic problems. Ring Road Force has been formulated for better traffic management at Ring Road and to provide convenience to the travelers, controlling the traffic flow and providing assistance in case of an accident. When wardens were interviewed regarding how they feel about their job few wardens were contented with their job but rest of them were untrained and were of the opinion that they will quit their job soon for their better future.(Interview).It’s actually duty of government to employ such wardens who are skilled enough to handle their job. Punjab Government has made investment of millions of rupees and had introduced a new system of Ring Road police therefore, officers and officials of ring road are performing their duty with integrity and dedication. The CM of Pakistan Mian Shahbaz Shareef assured that the Ring Road police force will shun Bribe and safarish. There is much strictness regarding traffic rules by government of Punjab now the one found without driving liscence or not following the traffic rules zig zagging through the massive traffic is heavily fined.
To cope with heavy jams it has become necessary to construct more underpasses, flyovers, signal free roads and parking for vehicle. During last few years the trend of constructing flyover is becoming popular in Lahore and had also proved successful in reducing traffic jam. Due to heavy traffic and crowd at kalma chowk the government of Pakistan took a positive step by constructing kalma chowk flyover. Kalma chowk flyover is a flyover and a bridge passing over the main square of Lahore. The flyover was made due to heavy traffic and Ferozpur Road was also crowded and traffic jam was observed but after the construction of this flyover traffic flow seem’s to reduced a bit.The project was basically started by Punjab Government on 5th of March,2011.This project took 135 days to complete. Project cost was Rs.2 Billion. Mian Shahbaz shareef inaugurated it on the independence day 14th of August,2011.This project was initited to reduce traffic congestion. Interviewing the general public near kalma chowk many was of the opinion that it is really a positive step taken by government while few responded there was no need of flyover and it really has affect on traffic some said government should have invested somewhere else(Interview).
There are many benefits observed that why a flyover should be constructed first it plays major role in streamline the traffic, secondly reduces the risk of accident and plenty of time is saved avoiding congestion. The construction of Muslim Town flyover, Lahore is also positive step by government of Punjab to control the traffic jam .Muslim town flyover is considered as country’s longest flyover.The estimated cost of Muslim Town Flyover was Rs 3.5 billion it is 200 percent larger than kalma chowk project. This project raises from the police Workshop Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (PITAC) Ferozepur Road to end in front of WAPDA hospital.The purpose of this project was to streamline traffic Coming from various parts of the city.This flyover completed in duration of 5 months (160 days).This flyover is 2.6km long there is expected saving of Rs 2.6 billion fuel due to smooth flow of traffic without any hinderance. Before the construction of of this flyover it took five to six minutes for the vehicle to travel from Icchara to Muslim Town due to Traffic Jam but after the construction of this flyover the time reduced to seventy seconds only.
Billions of rupees are sent on Lahore road by government to facilitate people and to overcome traffic problems. A separate police force is made to maintain traffic flow on Lahore Ring Road which has been doing it’s work since December,2012.Now the maintaince of this public welfare project is ours responsibility.
The Lahore Ring road is 80km Long has six lanes stretching out to 443km. The anticipated cost of this project is 185 billion. The cost of the project rise due to changes in government and improvement in the standarad of roads being used in the project. It is linked to M-2 Motorway and N-5 National highway. This project is designed by government of Pakistan to ensure the efficient movement of passengers and to remove traffic conflicts. In 2010 around 30% of the work from Naizi Chowk to Band Road which consist of 43km was near completion but was delayed until 2011. The route of Lahore Ring road is from Sabu to Naizi Chowk then stretching straight up to Mehmood Booti Passing through Canal Road, Harbanspura interchange, GT road, Burki Road, Allama Iqbal International Airpot,Dha phase 5 and 7,Ghazi road. The plan for Ring road project was finalized in 1997 during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s period but the project could not begin due to lack of funds. The project was delayed again when a multinational company said it would undertake the project only if its loans for Motorway project were renfinanced another delaying factor resulted due to unavailability of foreign assistance after nuclear test in May 1998.