New toll plaza at Ravi Interchange irks citizens


LAHORE - The City District Government Lahore has deceived the residents of Shahdara by establishing a new toll plaza at Ravi Interchange of Ring Road after shifting toll plaza from River Ravi Bridge to Kala Shah Kaku, TheNation has reliably learnt.

It is also learnt that the motorists, residing in Shahdra would have to pay toll tax at the newly established toll plaza on Ring Road while travelling. Lahorites will also have to pay toll tax for meeting their relatives, friends and visiting business centres situated in Shahdara.

Earlier, the government on the demand of Lahorites in general and the residents of Shahdara in particular initiated action to shift Ravi Toll Plaza from River Ravi Bridge at Kala Shah Kaku but underhand the authorities concerned took decision to establish new toll plaza on Ring Road as substitute source of tax in order to generate revenue from the motorists residing at both sides of the river.

The citizens termed the government decision regarding shifting of Ravi Toll Plaza away from Shahdara an eye-wash and said that government is adopting double standard and deceiving them instead of facilitating them.

The residents of Shahdara said that Punjab Chief Minister and other government authorities had promised the Shahdara residents a toll-free travelling but they backed out of their words by establishing a new toll plaza.

Azeem Saleem, a trader of pesticides, residing in Shadbagh and running business at Shahdara criticising the authorities concerned said that the problem of paying toll tax for the residents, workers and businessmen still exists and could not be resolved in true sense.

“The government and the district administration tackle the issue of tax collection technically because the government is earning millions of rupees from the toll tax plaza and all the decisions made by government are always in the interest of government and not for the public welfare,” he added.

Falak Sher, a contractor, residing at Babu Sabu and working at Shahdara said that he was running his business at Shahdara since 1997 and used to cross the Ravi Bridge for reaching his office after paying toll tax twice a day and he is still paying the tax on Ring Road Interchange despite shifting of Ravi Toll Plaza.

Syed Imran, a resident of Wandala Road Shahdara and an employee of a private firm at Chowk Yateem Khan Multan Road demanded the government to make fair public welfare policies for addressing the public complaints and resolve their daily problems instead of adopting double standard.