Double decker bus makes test run

RAWALPINDI:

The double decker tourist bus made a test run on Friday hauling a payload of jubilant people for a tour of the city on the Independence Day.

Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will inaugurate the tourist bus service next week, officials said.

The tourist bus left on a trial run with female students of Fatima Jinnah Women College and officers of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) officers. They were accompanied by Advisor to CM on Tourism Asif Mehmood, Punjab Tourism Corporation DG Shafqat Raza, MPAs Farah Agha and Gul Zeba.

The main terminal of the double decker tourist bus will be Allama Iqbal Park at Shamsabad. The bus would run from Allama Iqbal Park via Faizabad and cover Shakarparian, Lok Virsa, Chand Tara, China Complex, Rose and Jasmine Garden, Pak Secretariat and Shah Faisal Mosque before returning to the terminal via Zero Point.

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Initially only two double decker buses will be operational and in the second phase, two more buses will be procured. The return of tourist buses has been made possible by joint efforts of Punjab Tourism Corporation and PHA. Mehmood, who is also the PHA chairman, told The Express Tribune that the bus service is a gift for the people of Rawalpindi on Independence Day. “Today we have successfully completed its trial test. We will continue to increase the number of tourist destinations. “

In the next two weeks, these buses will be launched to boost tourism. Double decker tourist bus has been decorated with great love, said PHA chairman , adding that a special family bus service for tourists will be launched for the whole of Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2020.