LAHORE: On the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the government has decided to upgrade Lahore’s entry and exit points to improve city access and security.
Lahore Police and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) have formed joint teams to begin the upgrade work. In the first phase, six major points, including Babu Sabu and Sagian, will be developed.
Media reports say that modern and attractive entry points will be built, similar to the Thokar Niaz Baig model. Police officials said comfortable rooms will be built for officers stationed at the checkpoints.
The Chief Minister has also ordered special arrangements for checking women at these points. Currently, Lahore has 13 official entry and exit points.
The upgraded entry and exit points will help police check vehicles more easily, making the city safer from crime and illegal activities.
Beautiful and modern entry points will give a good first impression to visitors and make Lahore look more organized and welcoming.
Lahore-Islamabad Motorway to get green sticker booths;
The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to install green sticker booths on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M2) to check vehicle emissions and issue green stickers on the spot.
In the first phase, booths will be set up at Thokar Niaz Baig, Babu Sabu, Ravi, and Kala Shah Kaku interchanges. Vehicles will be tested for emissions at these points, and those meeting the standards will receive a green sticker.
Monitoring booths will also be placed at all Lahore interchanges to stop vehicles without green stickers from entering the motorway.
Director General EPA Punjab, Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh, said more booths will be added gradually to help citizens. He added that all vehicles will be tested before the start of the smog season, and those without stickers will not be allowed to enter Lahore.
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The Punjab government has recently exempted certain vehicles from mandatory testing. As per a directive from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, vehicles up to three years old are not required to get emission certificates. The announcement was made by the Environment Protection and Climate Change Department on social media.
The EPA has also increased the number of emission testing booths in Lahore from 8 to 60. These booths have been set up across the city to make the process faster and easier.
After passing the test, vehicles will get a green sticker on the windshield, showing they meet environmental standards.
Crackdown on E-Challan Defaulters in Lahore
Meanwhile, Lahore traffic police have launched a strong crackdown on e-challan defaulters. In just 20 days, traffic police have recovered 49,000 unpaid fines, worth over Rs30.7 million, according to Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Dr Athar Waheed.
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A citywide operation launched earlier this month has placed traffic wardens at key intersections to stop vehicles and check for pending challans. The recovered fines have been submitted to the national treasury.
The crackdown also includes government vehicles. So far, Rs3.5 million in fines have been recovered from official vehicles of different departments. Using Safe City cameras, teams are tracking and fining defaulters on the spot.
One surprising case involved a motorbike with unpaid challans worth Rs335,300, showing the effectiveness of the city’s automated enforcement system.
Dr Waheed warned citizens that ignoring e-challans could lead to restrictions on government services in the future. “With modern surveillance, no one can avoid penalties anymore,” he said. “People should realise that unpaid fines can bring serious consequences.”
The traffic police plan to continue this operation in the coming weeks, showing a strict zero-tolerance policy against violators.
