LAHORE: The Environment Protection Department has directed schools in Lahore to promote carpooling among students, parents and staff as part of broader preventive measures aimed at tackling the city’s smog and air pollution problem.
Schools Asked to Promote Car Pooling
Director General Environment Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh stressed that reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions during morning hours is essential to improving Lahore’s air quality. Schools have been advised to facilitate shared travel arrangements, particularly for students living in the same neighbourhoods or travelling along similar routes.
Under the proposed approach, school administrations may help establish car-pooling groups for students and parents coming from nearby areas or using common routes. Parents have also been encouraged to prioritise shared vehicles while dropping off and picking up their children.
According to the DG Environment, reducing the number of vehicles around schools could help ease traffic pressure while simultaneously lowering emissions. He noted that unnecessary vehicle use, particularly during peak morning hours when traffic moves slowly, contributes to particulate pollution and aggravates smog conditions.
The department has also stressed that car-pooling arrangements should not place any additional financial burden on students or their parents.
Schools to Support Anti-Smog Measures
The School Education Department has been recommended to take effective steps to incorporate car pooling into anti-smog measures and encourage educational institutions to play an active role in reducing traffic-related pollution.
Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh said efforts to tackle Lahore’s smog would focus not only on industrial pollution but also on emissions from transport, adding that schools, parents and students all have a role to play in reducing unnecessary vehicle journeys.
