CM unhappy with poor traffic system

Reprimands officers concerned; says traffic jams not to be tolerated

LAHORE

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has expressed extreme displeasure over the poor traffic system in Lahore and other big cities of the province and strongly reprimanded the officials of the institutions concerned.

He said that traffic jams and waste of time of people on roads would not be tolerated. He said that provincial departments and the institutions concerned had been provided resources and they would  have to give results. Shahbaz Sharif said that in spite of development of infrastructure, widening of roads and construction of flyovers and underpasses, people were still facing traffic problems, which was lamentable.

He chaired a meeting to review traffic system in big cities and reforms for its improvement here on Friday. He said that people of Lahore and other big cities of Punjab were facing traffic problems and had to wait for hours due to which government servants, students and other segments of society could not reach their offices and destinations in time.

He said that he would personally head the steering committee set up to improve traffic system and would review the measures for facilitating the masses on regular basis. He said that there was a need to meet the new challenges of traffic management due to growing population and it was responsibility of the departments concerned to carry out comprehensive planning.

Shahbaz Sharif said that he was fully aware of the problems faced by the people with regard to traffic system and he was answerable to Allah and the masses. He said that he had been elected by the people to serve them and it was his responsibility to resolve their problems. He said that he was working round the clock for the improvement of the system and provision of maximum facilities to the citizens. He said that had the departments concerned and institutions made proper planning, used modern technology and taken effective steps for traffic management, the situation would have been different. He said that people should be facilitated by maintaining a smooth flow of traffic. He said that the departments concerned would have to perform their duties efficiently and improve traffic system at any cost. He said that there was no shortage of resources.

He said that it was lamentable that Lahore Parking Company had not brought rotary parking machines despite passage of several months. He said that these machines would have helped in resolving the parking issue. He said the decisions taken in the meetings for improving traffic system had not been implemented in letter and spirit. He said that time had come for the institutions concerned to make all-out effort for the improvement of traffic system. Provincial Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant Rana Maqbool Ahmed, MPA Jahangir Khanzada, chief secretary, inspector general of police, home secretary and other authorities concerned attended the meeting.

WELFARE PROJECTS: The Punjab chief minister chaired a meeting to review the pace of implementation of ongoing development and welfare programmes. Addressing the meeting, he said that work was being carried out speedily on development projects of billions of rupees in the urban as well as rural areas of Punjab. He said the benefits of the development projects should reach the masses at any cost.

Provincial Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed, Hamza Shahbaz, chief secretary, Planning and Development chairman and the secretaries of departments concerned were also present. 

ECONOMIC POLICIES: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that positive results of economic policies of the government led by Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif were being witnessed and World Bank and other international institutions were openly acknowledging speedy development and substantial decrease in poverty rate in the country.

He said foreign exchange reserves had reached the highest level in the history of the country. He said that creation of new job opportunities and poverty alleviation were the result of strong economy. He said that Pakistan was moving towards economic self-reliance under the leadership of the prime minister and the goal of national progress and prosperity would be achieved through hard work and commitment.

The chief minister expressed these views while talking to the elected representatives who met him here on Friday.