575 more CNG buses for Punjab

LAHORE:

Lahore Transport Company Chairman Ahmad Hassaan has said that 575 more buses of international standards would be available in the Punjab, by the end of January 2012. Out of them, 200 buses would be run in Lahore and the rest in Multan, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi. Hassaan also said that promotion of CNG fitted urban transport was the prime objective of the government.

The LTC Chairman was addressing a meeting of the board of directors in Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Thursday. Hassaan emphasized the need for high pressure CNG stations to provide gas to the buses and said the government would lease state land through a transparent process to set up high pressure CNG units.

Hassaan also hinted that private investors would be prequalified for upgrading the existing stations into high-capacity CNG filling systems for urban transport buses. He said that LTC will enter into an agreement with private parties for the provision of CNG. He added that Bus Rapid Transit project will be implemented on Ferozpur Road, Canal Road and Multan Road in a phased program.

He also said that executives from some Turkish companies will shortly visit Lahore in order to sign an agreement with LTC for establishing the BRT.

The chairman predicted that BRT would prove a mile stone in the development of an efficient and affordable transport system for the people of Lahore. Hassaan mentioned that the new urban bus operations have already started on routes, B-9,B-20,B-33 and B-1.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2011.