Clean public transport: In Rawalpindi, CNG buses to be launched

Payment will be through instalments for five years; gas supply guaranteed.

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government has decided to launch 100 CNG buses in Rawalpindi to provide safe and affordable public transportation.

This was decided in a meeting on Tuesday that was headed by Punjab Transport Secretary Muhammad Yusuf and had Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed, Rawalpindi DCO Saqib Zaffar, Chief Traffic Officer Ghulam Abbas Tarar, public representatives and transporters in attendance.

An official press release states that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed the district administration to launch the 100 buses.

It was discussed in the meeting that the provincial government would pay a 20 per cent subsidy to every bus and that the vehicles would ply different city routes.

A further 20 per cent of the total payment for the bus would be discounted for transporters, who have to pay through a five-year instalment plan.

The company manufacturing the buses would pay for spare parts, replacement tyres and batteries for the first five years.

On days when CNG is not supplied, the transporters would get gas from stations owned by the Punjab government in cooperation with the federal government.

Dispelling transporters fears, Regional Transport Authority Secretary Asad Kazmi said a Rs10 fare would be fixed for students to avoid any damage they may cause to the buses, as has  been happening in the past.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2012.