M Alam Road might soon be rid of all the noisy and ugly traffic it receives on any given day, any time of the day. The city administration is mulling turning what happens to be Lahore’s most popular fashion boulevard cum food street into a pedestrian-friendly one; like, maybe, Istanbul’s Istaklal Street.

MM Alam Road is lined on either side with top-class restaurants and cafés, multiplexes, and outlets of leading fashion brands. It is one of the busiest shopping places of mainstream Lahore (right in the heart of Gulberg), where the hustle and bustle of commercial activities continue unabated till late night, all year round, but particularly close to the Eids and festivals. The city administration’s efforts to make it a calmer and cooler place for visitors is expected to add to their dine-out and shopping experience. However, given the mammoth task required in this connection it is surely easier said than done. Such an attempt would have to be focused not just on this stretch of road, but also on the rest of the city’s access to this commercial hub. Meticulous planning and execution after employing a holistic approach will be required to this effect.

There is a rub. For those getting excited about the idea of MM Alam Road becoming a walk-on fashion street, you can’t ignore the fact that the air you’ll be breathing is far from clean. You can’t expect the visitors to enjoy a walk or a cup of coffee under the smoggy sky. Of late, Lahore has earned the reputation of being one of the most polluted cities of the world.

So, what needs to be tackled in the first instance are the air pollution levels. It must be understood that the promotion of outdoor activities essentially depends on a clean and green environment.

It’s a Catch-22 situation. Removing vehicular traffic from a major city artery will not result in the reduction of the number of vehicles plying on other roads. In fact, it will put pressure on the surrounding roads where the logjam would simply mean greater emission of toxic gases for longer periods.

Hazy skies layered with dust, smoke and other pollutants warrant that the people stay indoors. With varied intensity, the unwanted ‘season’ of smog now continues from October till February every year — that is, for about 4-5 months. From May-June till late September, the air is hot and humid. In such weather conditions, the urban planners need to put into practice a host of measures for making outdoor exposure tolerable, if not worthwhile.

Further, in order to ensure hassle-free mobility after MM Alam Road is closed for vehicular traffic altogether, a comprehensive plan is required to widen roads in the vicinity up to Gurumangat Road in the south, along the Main Boulevard in the north and east and as far as Firdous Market down to Kalma Chowk in the west. In this area, having a radius of around two kms from MM Alam Road, the city administration needs to check the traffic hotspots, especially near the big schools located in the streets and business centres with a view to making vehicle movement smooth.

It’s a Catch-22 situation. Removing vehicular traffic from a major city artery will not reduce the number of vehicles plying on other roads. In fact, it will put pressure on the surrounding roads where the logjam would simply mean greater emission of toxic gases for longer periods.

Traffic pressure on adjacent roads increases manifold in the event of a cricket match at the nearby Gaddafi Stadium. This factor, too, needs to be taken into consideration when re-modelling the MM Alam Road.

So, besides widening of roads, parking plazas and pedestrian ways, strict regulation of traffic is key to ensuring the mobility of thousands of vehicles in various directions.

Linking a vechicle-free MM Alam Road with Liberty Market, Main Market and the Central Business District, besides connecting it to the nearby parks and green spaces, could help develop it into a truly walking corridor.

Secondly, electric wires and utility services should surely be underground in the area, not merely for aesthetic reasons but also for safety and space purposes. This is no less than a dream for the people of Lahore accustomed to power distribution systems having tangled wires and unending electric poles, drains and cable clutters.

Additionally, dedicated cycle tracks may be built in this zone. This will encourage a healthy activity besides being a starting point for a city-wide cycling track which is what the metropolitan needs badly, if it means to reduce carbon footprint for a more sustainable future.

Moreover, like the famous carts in Thailand, the city administration of Lahore must consider introducing moveable carts for selling street food.

The City Traffic Police have already begun work on the project. As an option, MM Alam Road may first be converted into a one-way street. In which case it could remain open for traffic coming in from Hussain Chowk towards Mini Market, and closed to the vehicles headed from Mini Market towards Hussain Chowk.

In the final phase, the public could use parking lots in front of the plazas, and cover the rest of the journey by foot.

In October last, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) first came up with the idea of introducing vehicle-free zones in this part of the city. Besides MM Alam Road, the area around Gaddafi Stadium is also a candidate for being developed as a walking zone.

As per LDA’s plan, the vehicle-free zones are designed to benefit the pedestrians. No motor cars, bikes or vehicles are allowed to enter these spaces. Designated parking areas outside the zones will be used to park vehicles. The decision has been taken to facilitate shoppers and to enrich the neighbourhood.

The writer is a senior reporter at The News