During the ongoing spell of smog, the government has taken various short-term measures to improve the Air Quality Index (AQI). These have included mandating a longer weekend (Saturday through Monday) for schools, colleges and academies; and attendance of no more than 50 percent in private offices. Besides, the government has ordered a crackdown on smoke-emitting vehicles of all kinds, industrial units that use substandard fuel, and brick kilns that do not operate on the latest zig-zag technology. Stubble burning has been outlawed. That nothing has come of it is for all to see — Lahore continues to record dangerously high levels of air pollution, especially that of PM2.5.

According to Abdul Razzaq, the chief engineer at TEPA who was made the head of the newly formed committee for traffic management on the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC), vehicular pollution contributes up to 45 percent to the smog.

The committee, whose members come from 19 government departments, is said to have held a number of sessions since. Clearly, they have understood that short-term planning isn’t working.

The committee eventually came up with some long-term measures and submitted a report to the LHC. These measures include a continuous anti-encroachment operation to keep the flow of traffic smooth. For this, TEPA requested the LHC to provide a permanent magistrate to deal with day-to-day fines and other legal issues. The court has already directed the Lahore district and sessions judge to post a full-time magistrate in TEPA.

The committee also decided to close down illegal road cuts. For this, TEPA was directed to acquire 500 concrete barriers. As per reports, the traffic police shall identify locations and TEPA will block those road cuts so that the traffic flow is not disrupted.

A majority of the committee members agreed to implement staggered timings for offices, schools and colleges. “Substantial reduction in smog is possible by diversifying the office/ business/ school timings, so that the peak-hour vehicular congestion can be reduced,” Razzaq said.

Further, the committee proposed introducing the policy of a higher rate of tax on car ownership. It was noted that in posh areas most individual members of a family use separate cars, as a result of which there is an increasing number of vehicles on the roads and greater air pollution levels. For this purpose, data on family trees shall be acquired from NADRA, and reports shall be obtained from Excise and Taxation Department (Vehicle Registration Branch).

The committee has proposed imposing a higher tax rate on individuals who own more than one car each. For this purpose, data on family trees shall be acquired from NADRA, and final reports shall be obtained from Excise and Taxation Department (Vehicle Registration Branch).

The focal persons of all the departments represented in the committee stressed on the construction of parking plazas in selected areas. For this, the committee agreed to encourage the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. It was also decided that every department must identify places within its jurisdiction, for the construction of parking plazas. The Lahore Parking Company (Le-Park) is expected to take initiatives on this proposal on an urgent basis.

Next, the committee mulled increasing subsidy on fares that would be applicable on the existing mass transit system — Metro Bus, Orange Train, Feeder Routes etc. It was argued that this would attract ridership and promote the use of public transport system.

Yet another proposal in this respect urged on the government to devise an efficient policy on the import of electric vehicles, or green cars, which are environment-friendly.

The committee also laid emphasis on introducing premium buses throughout the city, on the pattern of Speedo buses, which the public find a reliable and dignified alternative to private cars, for intra-city travelling. It may be mentioned here that presently, only 200 buses are operating in Lahore, whereas the requirement for developing an efficient and integrated public transport system is that of at least 2,500 buses.

Sulphur content in fuel is a potent air pollutant. Therefore, it was suggested that low-sulphur fuel for vehicles should be imported and made available.

Finally, the committee proposed to discourage outdoor dining. In its place, the citizens should be encouraged to avail home delivery services for food and other items of daily consumption. The idea is to reduce the traffic load on the main roads of the city and, ultimately, reduce smog.

bdul Razzaq tells TNS that the abovementioned proposals have been submitted to the LHC. “It’s now up to the court to decide which of these proposals should be adopted.”

He says smooth traffic in Lahore can only be ensured by reducing the number of vehicles on to the roads. This, in turn, will significantly improve the AQI.

The provincial secretary of Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Syed Mubashar Hussain, claims that the government is working to introduce electric rickshaws. For this purpose, soft loans shall be given to rickshaw owners to convert/ replace their existing vehicles with the electric ones.

On the other hand, noted environmentalist Mome Saleem says that Lahore “needs proper urban planning. An immediate ban must be imposed on further expansion of the city.”

She says the green areas in the city have already been occupied by private housing societies. Sustainable and long-term urban planning is needed to save the city which is being reduced to a jungle of concrete.

The writer is a city reporter at The News, Lahore