File photo of a metro bus in Lahore. PHOTO: FILE
The cabinet was led by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Twin cities
On January 22, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar had assured local businessmen that a metro bus project for Rawalpindi would be completed in just 11 months.
He said the provincial government would also improve the road networks of the city soon. However, he did not mention how much had been allocated for the project and when it will be launched.
The estimated cost of Islamabad’s section was worked out at Rs15 billion. The interested firms were asked to submit the required documents to take part in the pre-qualification process.
Lahore
The country’s first metro bus service was inaugurated on February 10 in Lahore last year.
The project, which cost roughly Rs30 billion, was completed in the short span of one year. Under the service, 115 metro buses, with a capacity three times that of ordinary buses, run along a 27km corridor, from Gajju Matta to Shahdra, in Lahore.
COMMENTS (23)
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real question is what is the amount of subsidy will be paid by government to maintain low fare travelling.......when every government organization is for sale, what justifies metro buses to be run on subsidy.....it should be run by private organizations, otherwise it would be just a political stunt
Ayesha M,
Punjab gets it all because people of Punjab hold their government responsible for everything. You should also complain to your provincial government instead of whining of ET.
Agree with Asad and Jay. I am currently working on one of Metro Rail project in Middle East form last 2 years. Despite of having a very efficient taxi and public buss system managed and run by government, it has decided to launch Metro Rail system to meet future transport needs here and to improve quality of mass transit system. But in Punbaj Metro Buss system projects are more likely for political purpose rather than a sustainable development.
I found Asad's comment very interesting. Although I agree with his ultimate conclusion that the focus should be on rail and airlines, I would differ with him on the fact that such short term projects also can reap benefits. However a very interesting point is raised, that is how to efficiently use the limited resourced. If Pakistan has $5 billion, which projects should be prioritized?
Thar, Gaddani, Dams i.e. Electricity. Education Reform (primary to college) Railways and Air. Steel Mills.These are just four examples, but I hope the idea comes across.I also liked the idea of integrating local companies. If only there could be a collective project which incorporates local firms in helping to produce all the above projects but link them together then that could be a possibility.
And Punjab gets it all
Metro bus system is a traditional transport system ! Why not metro rail or monorail system? For modern cities, metro bus system is not attractive and also high passenger traffic expectations in future.
I don't want to categorically criticized but I guess this decision is based on politics not the well being..Even though I appreciated the metro-bus project since it was the first of its kind and I would say it was successful..But that doesn't mean that there were no problems....There were a lot of problems like the purchasing of buses for the project which were actually imported and cost a lot...Instead the government should have made an arrangement to prepare the buses by local companies which would have substantially decreased the price...Secondly the project does not cover all of the Lahore...
So the government should move forward with such ambitious projects but with more practical and long term thinking..Yes they should take notice of the transport projects in Europe, North America, China, and also India to some extent and then should introduce such projects....These projects remain for ever and therefore one should think of the next 25, 50, 75, 100 years not 5 years and then only election.....Pakistan really needs to improve its Airline services and Railway which are actually a major revenue in Europe and other developed countries....
Wake up Sindh government. Karachi badly need a BRTS. When the Karachi circular railway is going to see the light of the day.
Rs 30bn for the lahore metro and its running 115 buses. That works out to Rs 260mn per bus. Does it make any financial sense at all? Wouldn't it be better to have ten times the no of buses and not spend so much on the roads and stations and so on? That would actually reduce traffic congestion. Right now the traffic situation remains the same outside of the bus track.
Hope Balochistan also gets road and transport as good as in punjab
This is a great step and must be appreciated, despite some haters spewing venom (with some calling it as jangla bus) in the past. All other provincial government must follow the good initiatives of Punjab govt.
The government has no money yet it wants to build these ridiculously expensive projects instead of creating a bus lane on the already existing roads.