Despite Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s rhetoric to improve the transport system, not a single bus has been included so far in the fleet of public transport, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Punjab government had claimed in 2008 to revolutionise the public transport sector to mitigate commuters’ hardships and traffic mess. Establishing the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) by delegating powers to it withdrawn from the Punjab Transport Department, the CM had announced to bring more than 2,000 buses. Local transporters were engaged and some memorandums of understanding (MoU) were also singed. Recently, the LTC mentioned 500 buses again but there has been no sign of progress yet.
At present around 150 buses against the demand of 3,000 buses were plying on 25 different routes in Lahore out of 53 routes. When the LTC took the helm of affairs, the number of buses stood at 1,000. The number continued to fall with the passage of time and the situation was going to worsen in coming days.
Recently, Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Zobia Malik also submitted an adjournment motion in the Punjab Assembly (PA) Secretariat and requested the PA speaker that a debate be conducted in the assembly on the increased transportation problems. Sources revealed that instead of improvement and progress in public transport, the number of buses of transport companies was declining day by day on all routes, as old buses which had become inoperative were not being replaced despite acute shortage of public transport in the city. Foreign transporters demanded security and guaranty of buses but the Punjab government did not give any kind of assurance yet.
Local private transporters said that due to the shortage of CNG and soaring prices of diesel, they could not afford to remain in the transport business. Speaking to Pakistan Today, All Transport Owner Association (ATOA) President Azam Khan Niazi said that the LTC could not procure a new bus in three years, adding that it had failed to resolve the issues of private transporters.
Likewise, commuters faced several problems also. They were made to board buses in huge numbers against limited capacity. They wait for hours at each bus stop and when a bus arrives, it is difficult for many people specially the handicapped, women and old people to board the bus due to rush and lack of space within the bus.
Afshaan, a government employee, said that female commuters had to wait for long to find a proper seat due to which they were often late to their offices. She said that authorities concerned should deploy sufficient transport on routes to reduce problems of commuters.
University of Management and Technology (UMT) student Haris complained that half hour to one hour was wasted everyday in catching the bus. He added that the LTC should run special buses during peak time. Speaking to Pakistan Today, a senior official of the LTC said that it had started air-conditioned bus service from the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) to the Punjab Civil Secretariat. If the pilot project was successful then LTC will run more buses. He said that despite higher fares, commuters have appreciated this bus service.
He added that LTC plans to procure 500 air conditioned urban buses to provide immediate relief to the citizens of Lahore. In this regard, a tender had already been floated on the LTC website. He said that 300 buses had been identified for refurbishment and these buses would be back on road soon.
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