LAHORE (Kashmir English): As the city gears up for the Basant festival, several reports are circulating regarding a local public holiday on February 6-8 in Punjab’s provincial capital, Lahore.
Answering a question during a press conference today, Punjab’s Information Minister Uzam Bukhari confirmed that the government has not yet decided whether there will be local holidays or not during Basant.
Along with saying that the government will later announce its decision regarding the Basant holidays, the minister said that the authorities can declared three-day holiday.
The Basant falls on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which already includes the weekend. It is very likely the district administration will also declared local holiday on Friday and Saturday.
As the festival approaches, the government is implementing strict rules and regulations for the smooth conduct of Basant and the safety of people.
Measurements ahead of Basant
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana announced that fines would be imposed from February 1 on motorcyclists riding without safety rods.
Kamyana said the Basant Safety Plan had been devised to ensure the protection of life and property across the city. Under the initiative, one million motorcycles would be fitted with safety rods free of cost.
On the other hand, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) declared 346 buildings as dangerous in its buildings survey.
According to the WCLA, a total of 346 buildings in the Walled City have been declared dangerous. Of these, 183 buildings have been termed irreparable, while 163 have been declared repairable.
The WCLA further stated that the rooftops of dangerous buildings are unsafe for Basant-related activities. The authority has initiated measures to impose a ban on the use of unsafe rooftops during Basant.
Moreover, the district administration has free citywide travel to ensure smooth and safe movement.
Citizens can avail free rides on the Metrobus and Orange Line Metro Train, buses from different colleges and universities, alongside specially branded rickshaws.
Under this plan, free services will run on 24 routes, as 228 feeder buses and 64 Metrobus vehicles operate daily, supported by additional buses sourced from government colleges and universities.
In addition, officials deployed 54 buses from colleges and 73 from universities, enabling nearly 516,000 people to access free daily transport, alongside 5,000 specially branded rickshaws offering complimentary rides.
