Transportation in Lahore

A Chinese proverb states “Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still." On the contrary, I am afraid of going slowly. In modern world, every second is invaluable. Yet moving at a snail’s pace is a routine matter on heavily congested roads in Lahore. Traffic jams and accidents are a common sight. Although, the city enjoys a rich cultural tradition, it lacks modern and methodical transport.

One of the ways to improve the transportation system is to plan the network of roads according to the projected flow of increased traffic. According to the statistics that were released by the Excise and Taxation Department, 900,000 new vehicles were registered in Lahore between 2002 and 2007 (lahorenama.wordpress.com). Owing to the increased traffic flow, some roads require expansion. For instance, Multan road and Ferozpur road can be expanded to provide more lanes for smooth traffic flow. Also, local governments are proposing a multibillion dollar large scale mass transit system in Lahore with as many as five separate lanes (Cochrane 11). This shows that forecasting flow of traffic on main routes is important for planning the expansion of roads. On the other hand, government policies in various countries are more inclined towards reducing the number of automobiles on the road rather than increasing the number of lanes. Hence, they develop public transport and encourage people to use public transport instead of privately owned vehicles. This could help improve transportation in Lahore by minimizing traffic jams. Another method to maintain a smooth flow of traffic in busy areas of Lahore is to construct parking plots. In this way, travelling automobiles can use more space on roads that was previously occupied by parked automobiles.

Likewise, underground railways or metros, when introduced in Lahore, can also play a significant in improving transportation. According to a report, underground metro train would be run in Lahore in collaboration with Iran and China (geo.tv). Since this mode of transportation is entirely located underground it encounters no obstruction in its path. In this way, it saves time and money.

Owen Davies correctly said,” The pace of progress will accelerate so that even engineers and technical managers will find it necessary to recycle back through school after no more than ten years. In particular fast-moving technologies skills will become obsolete every five years or so.” Indeed the world is developing at a fast pace and we are left far behind. However, there is always time to make improvements. Transportation is a part of whole infrastructure of the city. Without making improvements in transportation, a city cannot progress. Therefore, to make Lahore, a developed metropolis, it is necessary to make improvements in transportation.

Resources

Cochrane, Joe. “Urban Planning Laboratory.” Development Asia. Issue Jan-March 2010. Web 25 Feb 2010.