No buses available for most LTC routes

LAHORE: The Lahore Transport Company (LTC) has yet to arrange for buses to run on all of its 53 routes in the city.

Out of the 53 routes, 30 have been non-operational since April 10, 2010 – the day the LTC marked the routes. Three out of the remaining 23 routes, became inactive recently after Niazi Express wrapped up its operations on June 30 from Route No. 39 and 40 and Premier Bus Service got a stay order on Route No. 138.

Route No. 39 runs from Sherakot to Allama Iqbal Town, Kalma Chowk, Cantt and New Airport, Route No. 40 stretches from Lorry Adda to Wapda Town through Allama Iqbal Town, Faisal Town and Bagarian.

About the 30 non-operational routes, a senior official in the LTC told The Express Tribune that they remained under the use of other forms of transport which did not fall under LTC’s jurisdiction.

These included vans, coasters, and two-stroke, CNG and motorcycle rickshaws.

He said that the company intended to reclaim the routes and replace the undesirable means of transport with an affordable and efficient bus service.

“Other transport services would be moved to alternative routes,” he said.

The strength of buses in Lahore has come down from 1,100 (during 2002 to 2006) to less than 500.

The number of transport companies operating in the city fell from 14 to seven.

Bashir Sial, the Urban Transport Association chairperson, held the government responsible for the trend. He said that government had failed to come up with sound policies and made the transport sector unattractive for investors.

“The transporters were bound to wind up their businesses to avoid losses,” he said.

It was high time the government started providing relief to the transporters or else the few who are left will also be forced to shut down operations.

An LTC official seeking anonymity told The Express Tribune that there was no imminent threat of the transporters shutting down their operations. He said that the LTC had held successful negotiations with some of the transporters.

Besides, he said that the company had also signed agreements with Bahria Town, Nestle, Bandial and Usuzo. These companies, he said, had expressed eagerness to invest in the public transport services and would very soon begin operations.

He said that about 500 buses would be available to operate on several routes in the next five to six months.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2010.