Multan’s Feeder Bus Service to be operational in July

100 air-conditioned buses will transport around 75,000 commuters on daily basis

LAHORE: To facilitate Metro Bus passengers, the Feeder Bus Service (FBS) will ply 100 air-conditioned buses on different routes in July. At least, 75,000 commuters will benefit with the new service. The Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) is in a process of initiating operations of the integrated public transport system (feeder routes) in Multan City in July this year.

In the first phase of the project, eleven feeder routes will be added to the Multan Metro Bus system by operating 100 air-conditioned buses. These buses are expected to transport around 75,000 commuters on daily basis.



These feeder routes will have fare, operational and physical integration with metro bus line to ensure running of a fully integrated transport system within the city. The official contractor for operating buses on feeder routes is Veda Transit Solutions.

Lahore was the first city where PMTA started feeder route air-conditioned busses connecting almost entire metro bus track with 200 feeder buses provided and operated by Daewoo Pakistan.

Multan will be the second city where feeder routes will be connected with metro bus track.

Veda Transit Solutions Chief Operating Officer Abdur Rehman told The Express Tribune, “The first batch of buses to run under the project has already arrived at Multan and the remaining buses are waiting to be transported from Karachi to Multan soon on completion of depots facilities and related infrastructure.”

He added, “The team of engineers also arrived along with the buses to provide technical assistance in terms of driver’s training and setting up maintenance operations which have been completed.”

He maintained, “The feeder route operations are expected to commence in July and Veda is ready to start operating buses with full commitment.”



In February 2016, the Punjab Mass-Transit Authority had inked an agreement with Daewoo Pakistan for procurement, operation and maintenance of feeder buses for integrated bus operations in Lahore.

These buses were to hit Lahore’s roads in April last year, but the project was stalled owing to disagreements between the authority and the operator on contractual terms. The issue was later resolved amicably and the operator ordered new buses.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2017.