Daily Times

Lahore, often celebrated as the “City of Gardens,” is grappling with deteriorating infrastructure and significant challenges in its transportation sector. The city’s rapid urbanization and extensive concrete development have strained its infrastructure, leading to a critical need for a cohesive approach to urban planning and transportation.

In response to these challenges, the Government of Punjab established the Committee of Integrated Urban Transport Planning (C-IUTP) to unify key stakeholders and address the city’s pressing issues. To advance this initiative, the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA) engaged M/s NESPAK to conduct a thorough feasibility study of public transport routes and land use.

In this context, PMA and M/s NESPAK successfully hosted the “Lahore Transport Week: City in the Move,” a groundbreaking event held from July 22 to July 31, 2024. The week-long event featured specialized workshops covering a range of critical topics including Data Collection, Urban Planning, Transport Infrastructure and Models, Operations and Financial Sustainability, Institutional Frameworks, and Environmental Considerations.

The final day of the event, dedicated to Environmental Considerations presented by the Speaker Engr. Mr. Muhammad Shariq, culminated in a significant seminar chaired by Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi, Honorable Secretary of the Transport and Mass Transit Department (T&MD). The notable speakers of the seminar included Mr. Khanwar Anwaar Ali, MD of PMA; Mr. Zargham Eshaq Khan, MD of M/s NESPAK; Mr. Ozair Shah, GM Operations of PMA; Mr. Furqan Ali Malik, GM/Head of M/s NESPAK; Mr. Kamran Yousaf, GM/Head of M/s NESPAK and Mr. Jamshaid Faisal Janjua, PM of M/s NESPAK.

The concluding seminar focused on developing sustainable environmental infrastructure to ensure long-term stability and resilience. Discussions highlighted the need for a comprehensive framework addressing Urban Planning Restrictions, Traffic Safety Regulations, City Growth, Transportation Network Challenges, Public Transport Deficiencies, Mitigation Strategies, Framework Development, and Implementation Approaches. Looking ahead, a one-day seminar will be scheduled to share findings and methodologies from the feasibility studies, marking a crucial step towards optimizing Lahore’s urban transport systems and ensuring a sustainable future for the city.