Pak-Business Express: Economy, budget class save the day

The introduction of different classes boosts occupancy to 70%.

LAHORE: Sometimes good intentions are just not enough. The Pak-Business Express was launched with much fanfare two weeks ago and it is already suffering because of what some might say was a bad business model.

The service has so far peaked at 70% occupancy, still a far from the 88% occupancy that it needs to achieve to become profitable, but even this has not come without a lot of sacrifice and cutting of corners. A lot the amenities that were originally promised are usually not available, service seems to have declined and the staff is still waiting for their first salary.

However, it seems that contrary to the name, the train is not attracting a lot of business travellers. But with the introduction of a Rs3,500 budget class and a Rs1,500 economy class, the resultant increase in the number of travellers indicates that there might be hope of salvaging this venture.

The train now has four business class coaches, five budget class coaches and one economy class coach. The train now has a capacity of 600 and the response has been very good, so far.

But that is where the good news ends. Economy class passengers get no catering and budget class passengers get tea, once. Some staffers have already left because they have not been paid, said one attendant while talking to i. He also said that the staff is not being facilitated properly when they have to stay in Karachi overnight, saying that at times they even had to buy their own food.

However Ijaz Ahmad Chief Operation Officer of Four Brothers said that it is the staff which was fired for various shortcomings is now spreading rumours of non-payment of salaries. “The staff was hired 15 days before the inauguration for training; the salaries were not stopped and will be released in March,” Ahmad said.

So far a lot of the facilities that were promised are still not up to the mark. Many of the LCDs fail to work because of a cabling issue, wifi is still not available. Some commuters were also complaining about the lack of a prayer room.

But a lot of commuters were willing to overlook what they called minor issues. One traveller, Ahmad Saeed said “The train should continue. The food is not that bad, and it is never late. Most of all we get top travel in comfort and in safety.” Saeed said that this was the first venture of its kind and it would improve if given a chance.

Ahmad, the CEO of the company also admitted that while the situation had improved the venture was still not profitable. “We are trying to address all complaints.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2012.