TDCP to buy three more tourist buses

LAHORE:

The Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan (TDCP) is going to expand its fleet of double-decker tourist buses, TDCP Managing Director Ahmar Malik said on Tuesday.

“Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has given approval for the expansion of the project. The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) has also approved the procurement of three new double-decker buses and building new terminals in Lahore,” he said.



He said that the PDWP had approved an expenditure of Rs120 million for the project. “A tender for buying the new buses will be issued next week,” he said.

He said the bus service, Sightseeing Lahore, had received a tremendous response from tourists and the general public. “Buses are mostly overbooked, especially on weekends. A lot of people ride the buses on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The buses are reserved for school children during early hours,” he said.



He said that once the new buses reached Pakistan, the corporation would start more routes. “We are providing an international-standard service. We have studied the operation of similar services in cities like London, Dubai and Budapest,” he said. Earlier, the corporation had imported two double-decker buses from China for $376,000. Each bus has a capacity to carry 67 passengers. The vehicles are equipped with a public address system, allowing guides to inform passengers about the city’s history and places of interest along the route.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2015.