A comprehensive plan to tackle traffic congestion and parking issues in Lahore, Pakistan has been announced by the local administration. A grand operation will be initiated after Eid vacation to remove encroachments built on parking places, with strict actions to be taken against all violators who have converted parking spaces into encroachments by making shops or showrooms. The operation will involve a joint effort between the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (TEPA), Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), District Administration, Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL), police security in-charges, and Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA).
During the operation, non-compliant plazas and buildings will be sealed, and parking areas will be fined. All LDA and MCL metropolitan wings and ACs will be involved in the joint operation. The main focus will be on converting nine main avenues across Lahore into model roads, with the eradication of encroachments along these roads in a citywide operation.
To ensure the use of approved parking spaces in commercial buildings in the city, LDA has decided to remove encroachments built on parking places. Caretaker Minister for Housing and Urban Development Barrister Azfar Ali Nasir and Commissioner and Director-General Lahore Development Authority, Muhammad Ali Randhawa announced the decision during a press conference, stating that strict actions would be taken against all violators who had converted parking space into encroachments.
The beauty of the city of Lahore will be restored with the planting of only fruitful and flowering trees, and strict measures have been taken to control smog and rising pollution in the city. Commercial buildings, plazas, shopping centers, and mega stores have been informed to use parking places only for parking purposes, with zero tolerance shown for commercial activities and encroachments in the parking space. The provincial minister has warned of strict measures, including heavy penalties and property seizure, against those who do not follow the rules. The joint operation is expected to bring long-term relief to the traffic and parking issues faced by the city of Lahore.
