LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that 1,200 buses manufactured by Chinese company Ankai are being acquired under the public transport scheme, which will revolutionise the transport system in the province.
He was addressing a high-level meeting regarding the launching of the new public transport system.He said that the provincial government, under a comprehensive policy, was spending billions of rupees on the provision of modern public transport facilities to the masses.He said that a new system of air-conditioned public transport was being introduced in big cities for the benefit of the people. The chief minister said that a modern system of public transport had been launched in Lahore and Faisalabad, while modern and comfortable bus service would soon be available to the people of other cities as well.
He said that the scheme would rid the people of the obsolete and uncomfortable public transport buses, and they would reach their destination easily.The meeting considered in detail the matters regarding introduction of modern transport system, issuance of concession cards to students and other issues. Shahbaz said that the public transport system was the identity of a developed and civilised society, adding that result-oriented measures had been taken for the improvement of public transport system during the last four years, which had specially benefited the common man. He said that private investment in the public transport system was being fully encouraged.
He said that the government had also decided to give the facility of concessionary tickets to students, and a flat rate of Rs 10 had been proposed for the benefit of students. He said that student cards would be of modern design and it would not be possible to copy them. Similarly, he said that electronic ticketing system would also be initiated for the passengers.The CM informed the meeting that trackers would also be installed in public transport buses to ensure that these buses were completing their routes.
He said that the facility of workshop would be available to the operators in Lahore and other cities for the repair and provision of spare parts of the buses operating under the public transport system.Shahbaz directed the authorities concerned to evolve a practicable method of insurance of these buses. He said that besides education and health, a modern public transport system was also the basic right of the masses, and in this connection, unprecedented measures taken by the government had specially benefited the masses. Earlier, Lahore Transport Company Chairman Ahmad Hassan informed the meeting about the measures taken for modernising the public transport system. – Dailytimes
