Competition killer?: Punjab government to bar large buses from Murree

Ban in place but remains unenforced, benefits would include reducing traffic in town.

ISLAMABAD:

The Transport Department of Punjab has amended its rules for transport travelling to Murree in a move that seems linked with provincial government plans to start its own tour bus service to the hill station.

The “Special Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Travelling to Murree” provide for a complete ban on the entry of public buses longer than 9 metres in Murree city.

“The new SOPs are functional ,” District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Owais Manzoor Tarar said, adding initially three traffic police pickets have been established along Murree Expressway to issue cautionary notices to public buses travelling to Murree of length more than the approved ones.

He said the Punjab’s tourism department had yet to launch its proposed Murree Shuttle Service (MSS), so the rules have not been applied strictly so far. “As soon the shuttle service, a fleet of nine-metre tourist buses will be launched and enforcement of rules will be ensured.”

The proposed date of launch of MSS is September 3, said Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed.

Saeed said a pilot project to this effect would be held in July. He said shuttle buses available with the Punjab Tourism Development Division would be run under pilot project.

The buses would leave Bhara Kahu for Murree after every 30 minutes.

The DRTA secretary said negotiations with transporters plying the route were underway. “Meetings headed by the Punjab transport secretary have been held in past, while some are scheduled to be held in the coming days,” Tarar said, adding transporters had been asked to replace their buses with smaller ones so that their business were not affected.

He said Daewoo had already started a small bus service for Murree from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

A seven-metre mini bus has a capacity of 30 passengers, while the nine-metre plus buses preferred by most operators can easily seat at least 52 passengers.

Hopefully, the issue would be resolved through mutual understanding, Tarar said.

He said large buses cause traffic congestion during the peak seasons.

Tarar said if implemented successfully the SOPs would be extended to other hill stations in the country.

The Tourism Development Corporation Punjab has earlier sought expression of interest from firm interested to import a fleet of tourist shuttle buses from abroad. The last date for submission of documents is June 16.

The Rawalpindi commissioner said tourists would be made aware of the advantages of using public transport instead of their personal cars to go to Murree. He said a bus terminal would be established along 3rd Avenue near Bhara Kahu with ample parking space.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2014.