Model Town administration banishes rickshaws

* Affected commuters outraged, allege ban imposed to benefit administrator and nazim
* Administrator says wagons, buses next

By Khawaja Naseer

LAHORE: The administrator of Model Town Society has imposed a ban on the entry of two and four stroke rickshaws through the main town entrance. He has ordered the ban to be effected immediately.

Society sources told Daily Times on Friday that the decision was taken following complaints by residents that rickshaws from R, S and Q blocks, Liaquatabad, Dalha Stop and Township were using Model Town lanes excessively, creating unneeded noise and sound pollution.

Sources said that following the directives, two main lanes of G and H blocks (Model Town entrance) had disallowed rickshaw entry and exit. “Police and society staff has been deployed since morning till late night on the two lanes to ensure implementation of the ban,” they said.

Sources said that once the ban on rickshaws was successfully implemented, other transports such as wagons and coaster buses could be restricted within six months.

Model Town Society, the oldest residential society of Lahore, has ten blocks and settles more than 35,000 people. The R, S and Q blocks were extensions made to Model Town by the Lahore Development Authority.

However, the decision outraged residents of R, S, and Q blocks and Liquatabad, and they voiced their protests. R block resident Ashraf said their fundamental rights to travel through “the ‘prestigious’ Model Town society had been trampled”. He said the ban had been imposed because the administrator lived in G Block and the district nazim lived in E block.

Defending the administrator’s decision, society president Khalid Akram said that public transport ruined the peace of area. Replying to reservations about the loss of jobs caused by the action, Akram said that there was business in other areas such as the Defence Housing Authority.

He said that steps were being taken to facilitate residents of Model Town. One solution under consideration was to restore the old Model Town bus service. The Model Town administrator was not available for comment

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