‘Unfair’ fare of Metro feeder buses baffles citizens

Complexities of modern, integrated ticketing mechanism becoming a headache

LAHORE: For occasional travellers, boarding the recently introduced feeder buses for Lahore Metro Bus service has become a headache. While a single ride on the air-conditioned bus costs Rs20, passengers have to buy Rs200 smart cards under a complex, integrated ticketing mechanism.

While the Punjab Mass-transit Authority (PMA) has tried its best to introduce a modern fare system for the bus service, its complexities have come back to haunt the organisation, considering the novelty of the mechanism and naivety of people.

The new bus service started operating recently on 14 routes of the Lahore Metro Bus service in collaboration with Daewoo Pakistan that has made Rs3 billion investments to put 200 new air-conditioned buses on these routes.



Every passenger has to buy a Rs200 smart card before boarding the bus though the buses have a flat tariff of Rs20, complains Muhammad Usman, a passenger while speaking to The Express Tribune.

While the ticketing system might be efficient for daily commuters, the price is too heavy on the wallet for occasional passengers or for travellers on a short trip to Lahore.

A family has to buy the Rs200 ticket for each member, including minors, before boarding the feeder buses. If a couple with two children wants to travel on the bus even for a kilometre, they will have to pay Rs800.

“This is almost equal to the bus fare between Lahore and Gujranwala for the whole family,” Usman points out.

Another commuter Kashif Chughtai alleged the government had withdrawn the buses previously plying on the routes of feeder buses to force passengers into using the new service.

“This was an excellent service as the buses come after every 10 minutes but the government has to devise a fair ticketing system,” he said. “The smart card-based e-ticketing system is useful for daily travellers but not for others.”

Numerous complaints

PMA Operations General Manager Syed Uzair Shah admitted the authority had been receiving numerous complaints from citizens about the ticketing mechanism. “We have asked the ticketing system provider to find out some solution to this problem as it is hurting the passenger count for the new feeder buses,” he added.

Through an e-ticketing system integrated with the Lahore Metro Bus service, the PMA tried to eliminate cash transactions and remove the chance of revenue pilferage. “But most passengers still prefer cash payments,” Uzair says.

When a passenger buys the Rs200 smart card, the system withholds Rs130 as security deposit for the hard-plastic card that holds a credit of Rs70 balance for tickets. These smart cards can be topped up like cellphone service credit. When a passenger returns his or her card, he will be refunded his security deposit (Rs130).



Once a passenger swipes his card while boarding the feeder bus, the system deducts Rs20 from the card. When the card is swiped again at the destination, the system returns Rs5 to the card which can be used for fare on the metro bus.

On the other hand, if a passenger swipes his fare card on the metro bus, he can enjoy a free ride on the feeder bus as the ticketing system will deduct Rs20 at once.

Uzair admitted that the complexities of the ticketing system had reduced the number of passengers in the first week of the service. “Few passengers travelled on the new buses initially,” he said. “But now the service is winning back passengers’ confidence and about 25,000 to 30,000 passengers are using the buses every day.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2017.