The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed City Traffic Officer (TCO) to deploy at least three officers of DSP ranks outside the main entrance of General Hospital and also ensure the presence of traffic wardens for 20 hours in a day. The court passed this order while disposing of a petition against removal of a road U-turn in front of the hospital to facilitate the construction of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).
The Acting CTO and officers of Traffic Engineering Transport Planning Agency (TEPA) appeared before the court and stated that the barricades placed at the U-turn had been removed and additional wardens had been deployed at the entry point of the hospital. The officers undertook that easy access to the hospital will be ensured for patients, visitors and ambulances.
The petitioner Shahzad Nazir advocate submitted that the U-turn before the general hospital main gate had been repositioned at a distance of four kilometers. The petitioner pleaded that the shifting of the U-turn had been causing serious problems to visitors, patients and the ambulances in particular. He said the ambulances have to take a long drive to reach the hospital. He therefore prayed to the court to direct the respondent authorities to shift the U-turn to its previous position.