Bridging gaps: AJK to launch Mirpur-Birmingham bus service in 2012
Khokher says the proposed Mirpur-Birmingham bus service would be plied from Mirpur via Quetta and Tehran to the UK.
MIRPUR:
Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) announced that its Mirpur city will directly be linked by road with the United Kingdom through a direct bus service between the city and Birmingham, by the beginning of 2012.
The new road route was disclosed by AJK Transport Minister Tahir Khokher while addressing a news conference at the Kashmir Press Club here on Sunday.
Khokher said that the proposed Mirpur-Birmingham bus service would be plied from Mirpur – which has a significant population of UK-based Kashmiri expatriates – via Quetta and Tehran (Iran) to the UK.
AJK’s transport authorities are hoping that the project will facilitate over 0.70 million Britain-based Kashmiri expatriates hailing from this district. Khokher said that at the first leg of the proposed plan is to be executed by March next year. To this end, four buses of international standard will be plied on the Mirpur-Birmingham route.
The minister revealed that the fare of the proposed Mirpur-Birmingham international bus service will be around Rs20,000 per passenger.
Road safety
He announced that up-to-date mechanism was being devised, coupled with the required legislation by the AJK Legislative Assembly, in order to discourage the violation of traffic rules and regulations.
He said that new transport policy will be announced during the next session of the AJK Legislative Assembly.
He added that the new transport policy will envisage zero tolerance for over-loading and overcharging of fares in the public transport.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2011.
Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) announced that its Mirpur city will directly be linked by road with the United Kingdom through a direct bus service between the city and Birmingham, by the beginning of 2012.
The new road route was disclosed by AJK Transport Minister Tahir Khokher while addressing a news conference at the Kashmir Press Club here on Sunday.
Khokher said that the proposed Mirpur-Birmingham bus service would be plied from Mirpur – which has a significant population of UK-based Kashmiri expatriates – via Quetta and Tehran (Iran) to the UK.
AJK’s transport authorities are hoping that the project will facilitate over 0.70 million Britain-based Kashmiri expatriates hailing from this district. Khokher said that at the first leg of the proposed plan is to be executed by March next year. To this end, four buses of international standard will be plied on the Mirpur-Birmingham route.
The minister revealed that the fare of the proposed Mirpur-Birmingham international bus service will be around Rs20,000 per passenger.
Road safety
He announced that up-to-date mechanism was being devised, coupled with the required legislation by the AJK Legislative Assembly, in order to discourage the violation of traffic rules and regulations.
He said that new transport policy will be announced during the next session of the AJK Legislative Assembly.
He added that the new transport policy will envisage zero tolerance for over-loading and overcharging of fares in the public transport.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2011.