Pak-India friendship bus fares to go up by July 1

PTDC says it has to bear losses in millions every year because of low fares and dearth of passengers.

LAHORE: A 25% increase in the fares of the Pak-India friendship bus serivce is expected from July 1, Express News reported on Friday.

Currently, the fare for a ticket to Delhi from Lahore for adults is Rs2,000, and Rs1,500 for minors.

The fare for a ticket to Amritsar from Lahore is Rs900 for adults and Rs600 for minors and a ticket from Nankana Sahib to Amritsar costs Rs1,200 for adults and Rs800 for minors.

Sources said that the fares had not increased since 2008, while there was a continuous hike in diesel prices.

The chief of the Lahore to Delhi bus service has gone to India to discuss the increase in fares with the Indian administration, and after mutual consent fare prices will be increased.

Sources added that the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) said that it has to bear losses in millions in the name of friendship every year because of the low fares and dearth of passengers travelling from the bus.

PTDC further said that rather than having different buses travelling from Nankana Sahib and Lahore to Amritsar, only one bus will be used as there are few passengers in these buses and sometimes, an empty bus commutes to Amritsar.

The bus travelling from Lahore to Delhi usually has more passengers but it bears no fruit as the bus fares are too low to have good revenue generation.