Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif offer prayers after metro bus project inauguration. PHOTO: INP
All of these projects, if properly executed and subsequently managed, probably benefit the economy in the widest sense. The devil is in the details. The Lahore metro bus is reportedly running at a loss of five million rupees a day and has eaten around Rs1.6 billion of public money since its inception in February 2013. There are about 140,000 users over the five-day week — a number well below a break-even point even if government figures are accepted as accurate. It was, perhaps, a slight embarrassment that the Punjab chief minister felt obliged to complain at the inaugural ceremony that the 50/50 cost-sharing formula for the project was not to the advantage of the province of which he is the CM. There was no mention of the additional burden of subsidy from provincial budgets if fares are to be kept at an affordable rate. The prime minister quickly promised additional funds presumably from the federal pocket, but who-funds-what remains a contentious issue. Nobody doubts that mass-transit in our cities is the need of the hour. Many doubt how we are going about the job.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
COMMENTS (11)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Munir Ahmed: There is a big difference by incurring sanctions by making a deal with Iran when the US and West has warned Pakistan. If Japan and more economically powerful countries don't want to challenge US sanctions on Iran, why do you think Pakistan can afford it? Pakistan should focus on getting better, not pick a fight with US because it went ahead with a pipeline project that will slap sanctions on it. No Pakistan can't afford the pipeline; It should look after itself.
@raja: If people can't beyond pointing fingers and saying, so and so owns cement factories, there will never be any development in Pakistan. If you have ever travelled in Rawalipindi - Islamabad, you know how important it is for average citizens to have an efficent mass transit system rather than further burden the roads. Maybe the route chosen isn't ideal but no one I now in Pindi - Islamabad is against the project because we understand the need. Lahore's Metro Bus has done wonders too. Let's see if the people who are against the Metro Bus and motroways or energy projects will promise not to use them when they are developed!
Never in the world public transports run without subsidy. The wide roads you run your 4 wheels on is actually the subsidy for the rich.
Very good initiative. Praiseworthy. The critics mostly commute their own cars so do not understand the importance of good public transport facility. Ask people of Karachi if you want to understand the importance of public transport.
...and until recently before the full closure - they were saying we don't have money for the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project.
they just want to ruin our country... islamabad wont look the same again, just because of your personal interests sharifs! dont forget they own cement factories thats why we get to see development which involved cement, nothing else!
Pakistani politics is run by the urban middle class and Sharif brothers are expert in capitalizing upon that. Every movement from the days of Ayub to the last against Mush has been an urban movement and they have the street power. Sharif brothers are heavily investing their political capital in the metro areas of their vote banks. Even in the next elections it would be NS from all urban centers of Punjab.
It was an election gimmick, and the uneducated masses voted for it. End of story. Why wouldn't Nawaz try it again. He can fool the nation again and again.