Every day we see smoking vehicles plying on Lahore roads that belch smoke thus poisoning the atmosphere. Main culprits in this case are old vehicles and rickshaws as also motor cycles that have worn out engines that do not burn fuel efficiently. Host of diseases can be spread by people inhaling smoke belched out by the silencers of such vehicles. These days clean air legislation is being enforced in the west to reduce pollution on the roads and even hybrid cars are being built to reduce pollution of air but unfortunately in Lahore even the traffic control authorities are silent spectators of smoking vehicles and motorcycles that produce clouds of dense smoke that pollutes the air of our city of Lahore.
The modern system of metro buses mainly serves main artery of Lahore but the rest of Lahore is at the mercy of smoking vehicles. The traffic police observes anti-smoking vehicle week sometime but goes to sleep afterwards. A strict and persistent campaign is needed to control the spread of smoking vehicles in Lahore by dedicated traffic police officers who are seen at present standing in groups listlessly on traffic signals oblivious of smoking vehicles that are becoming a menace to public health of Lahore citizens. It is suggested that authorities that be may awaken to the developing threat of smoking vehicles on Lahore roads to provide clean air to Lahore citizens that would make for a healthy environment for people that use Lahore roads each day in large numbers.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
