unjab Safe Cities Authority’s latest initiative to create dedicated lanes — named Green Lane — for motorcyclists, in order to ensure smooth traffic flow, seems to have hit a roadblock.

First off, the February showers washed away the green paint, turning the tracks into slippery paths. Several videos of the tracks went viral on social media, with users seeing to shame the contractors.

For a public project that is mounted on a budget of Rs 110 million, to have failed at the very outset is indeed a shame.

Earlier, the city administration launched the pilot project to improve traffic flow on Ferozepur Road, one of the busiest traffic artery of the provincial metropolis. The lane for motorcycles, painted in green and, in parts, orange, is 10 kilometres long and 12 feet wide. (The colour orange marks the start of a two-lane road.)

The green lane is separated from the main road by a low-height concrete wall that runs parallel to it. It has been built by LDA’s urban development team. The project will be extended to other city roads, including Canal Road, Jail Road and The Mall, in phases.

The PSCA spokesperson claims that green lanes have helped improve traffic flow and reduced the number of accidents. He also says that the administration has taken due notice of the paint being washed away post rain. Efforts are being made to resolve the issue.

The PSCA spokesperson claims that green lanes have helped maintain smooth traffic flow and reduced the number of accidents. He also says that the administration has taken notice of the paint being washed away post rain.

However, the public remains concerned. Nadeemullah Nayyar, a resident of Model Town, says he has doubts as to the efficacy of the project. “Rain washing away the paint has exposed the level of corruption and misappropriation of public money that has gone into the project,” he tells TNS.

“The divider itself is a hazard,” he adds. He mentions a recent incident in which a motorbike hit into a truck because the rider missed the divider.

Ishaq Butt, another resident, says Ferozepur Road is quite wide, but the divider has narrowed it for cars and other vehicles. “After the paint got washed, it’s become very difficult for motorcyclists to find the starting point of the Green Lane. There are no traffic wardens on the spot to guide them.”

He says that orange and green colours were used to improve visibility during the Green Lane’s test run on Ferozepur Road. “It is quite unfortunate that millions of rupees was spent on the publicity of the project, but the poor quality paint faded after the first rain of February.”

The debate spilled over on social media, with one user saying that even the cheapest paint wouldn’t wash off after just one shower. “It seems like the contractor used lime instead of paint,” they commented.

Then there is the issue of effective enforcement. Motorcyclists tend to not follow lane discipline — Green Lane or no Green Lane. This needs to be looked at, too.

Ahsan Zia is a print and broadcast journalist