BACK in January, the Punjab government launched a green-marked separate bike lane project on Ferozepur Road in Lahore.
The idea was to segregate motorbikes from other vehicles to decrease the traffic burden on the road. The project cost a total of Rs110 million. However, the maiden shower after the completion of the project washed away the evanescent paint of the road. The main purpose of decreasing traffic burden was not served either.
There were reports of 30 per cent increase in accidents since the inauguration of the project.
Unnecessary hurdles, poor management and planning, bad road sense of the bikers, and lack of proper monitoring are some of the reasons behind the project`s failure. However, the same project would be perfect for connecting small towns and villages via the motorway. A separate lane could be marked for bikers on the motorways. This would facilitate millions of motorcyclists in Pakistan.
At present, the residents of small villages or towns cannot benefit from the motorways for covering short distances.
Buses drop passengers at interchanges, and sometimes they have to travel miles in the opposite direction to reach home.
A separate bike lane could address their problems.
The relevant authorities, instead of repeating failed experiments, should invest in a project that is actually needed.
