Recent spell of rain has washed away millions of rupees worth of paint on several patches of Lahore’s newly designated bike lane exposing the lack of planning by authorities.

Lahore’s administration introduced dedicated lanes for motorcycles in January to ensure road safety and traffic. In the first phase, a 10 kilometre patch of road was painted with green colour along the Ferozepur Road, from Canal Road to Lahore Bridge. According to media reports, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) spent more than Rs110 million in painting the new bike lanes.

Lahore’s Bike Lane Project:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had instructed the establishment of separate lanes for two-wheeler riders based on international infrastructure. She also took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a video of road being painted bright green with a caption: “Bikes’ lane on Ferozpur Road Lahore. All other main roads in all districts will also have separate bikes’ lane to prevent accidents and ensure smooth flow of traffic Insha’Allah.

However, much to the dismay of citizens, a light downpour exposed the poor quality of paint along some patches when the washed away paint became a slippery hazard for motorcyclists.

Samaa News reported that the Director General LDA has taken notice of the development while ordering a departmental inquiry into the matter. It also alleged that the LDA would not authorise payment to the company responsible for painting the bike lanes.

The DG also instructed the Chief Engineer to start investigation in the alleged poor quality of paint job done in Lahore’s bike lane.

One X user criticised the authorities writing: “Bureaucracy in Pakistan. Millions Washed Away as Lahore’s Bike Lane’s Paint Fails First Rain Test. Paint peeled off immediately upon contact with water. LDA allocated over Rs. 110 million for paint, yet it didn’t withstand a light downpour.”