Relief to the commuters in Lahore as several of the roadblocks have now been cleared, such as those near key points like Data Darbar, Azadi Chowk, and Shahdara. Traffic has begun to move again at these locations as authorities have managed to clear containers and trucks occupying these spaces while allowing flow for vehicles at least on one lane each. Unfortunately, much still affects traffic: the reclosure may occur whenever an emergency arises. Police have also increased their presence in these areas to ensure the safety and management of the current situation.
Admittedly, the city has made some strides in its transport system, but several major challenges are still ahead. The Lahore Motorways are heading into their fourth day of continuous closure as a result of the protest, which is causing much diversion to the city. Not only have the General Bus Stand, Badami Bagh and Bund Road been closed down, but they also included other significantly impacting bus terminals operating within the city.
Transport has been suffering terribly from these closures of bus terminals, and the President of the All Pakistan Public Transport Owners Federation stated that these closures have caused losses of millions. He observed how transporters are not politically linked and lamented on not hearing any communication from the government or the local authorities.
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The PTI protests are now into their second day with roads between Islamabad and Rawalpindi still blocked-off. Local transport and travel-related infrastructures have also been badly affected by the anthill-like activities.
The situation is still unclear, and not clear whether the authority will soon be able to remove all roads’ blocks and enable a return to normal operation.