Bus import: Court wants to see agreement on fuel supply
The court also extended a stay order against the opening of tenders for importing 1,100 buses.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan was hearing a petition moved by a private transport company challenging a government tender for purchasing 1,200 public sector buses.
On September 8, the court had allowed the government to open tenders for the purchase of 100 buses for the Metro Bus Service.
Earlier, the government had told the court that there would be no problem in securing the fuel for the buses being imported.
On Thursday, a representative of PARCO claimed the company was currently providing Euro II compliant diesel at 32 stations across the province.
When the judge remarked that 32 pumps may be insufficient to supply the required amount of diesel, the representative informed the court that the company had signed an agreement with the government to ensuring availability of the fuel.
The petitioner had said that the government was about to spend a huge amount of money to procure the buses, which run on a special fuel. The fuel is not available in the Punjab.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, the oil refineries too had told the government they would be unable to supply Euro II compliant diesel. He said he feared the project would be a failure like the government’s recent procurement of CNG buses. The buses, he said, were of no use for three days due to non-availability of CNG. He said the purchase of diesel buses would cost 45 per cent more and would be “a futile exercise and a waste of public money”.
LHC orders easy access to hospital
The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the city traffic officer to deploy at least three officers of DSP rank in front of the main entrance of the Lahore General Hospital (LGH).
The court also ordered him to ensure presence of traffic wardens at the spot for 20 hours a day.
Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh passed these orders, disposing of a petition against the closure of a U-turn in front of the hospital to facilitate the construction of the Metro Bus Service. The CTO and TEPA officers appeared before the court and stated that the barriers at the U-turn had been removed and additional wardens deployed at the hospital entrance. The officers undertook to ensure easy access to the hospital for patients, visitors and ambulances.
Advocate Shahzad Nasir had filed the petition submitting that the U-turn had been relocated four kilometres away from the hospital’s main entrance. He said this was was causing problems to visitors and patients and prayed that the authorities be ordered to restore the U-turn to its original position.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2012.
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After compliance of Euro standard in the automotive engine emission standards of Euro II, on petrol engines. The refineries are not supplying, hence the operation of buses may possibly be problem. However the Government should legislate the availability of Euro II diesel and all engines should be on Euro II compliant, including the local assembled. Penalty should be imposed to local assemblers coming with Euro 0 engines and autos in diesel.