Metro bus service to revolutionise public transport sector: Shahbaz

LAHORE

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday said that the metro bus service will bring a revolution in public transport sector.
He said that the project would be completed in a record period of ten months. He said that Lahore metro bus project is providing speedy, comfortable and economical transport facility to about 1.75 lakh people daily, similarly more than 1.5 lakh citizens of the twin cities would benefit from Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project daily. He said that the people have provided third opportunity to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to make the country a welfare state. The CM said that the elements opposing metro bus project would gain nothing and compared to those travelling in luxurious cars, the passengers of metro buses would reach Islamabad in a shorter period of time. He said that no effort would be spared for resolving the problems being faced by Pakistan.
The CM said that completion of the project would make Rawalpindi-Islamabad twin cities in the real sense. He said that like people of Lahore, including government servants, officers, lawyers, doctors, traders and others, who park their vehicles and motorcycles and travel to their offices and place of work through metro bus service, the citizens of Rawalpindi and Islamabad will also avail speedy and economical facility of metro bus service.
He said that the dream of the forefathers of the country and those who struggled for creation of Pakistan could not be translated into reality in the previous decades.
Shahbaz said that when he started the project in Lahore those who had luxurious cars and did not care about the transport problems of students, patients, doctors, government servants and labourers started criticising the project and some of them termed it ‘Jungla Bus’ service and made exaggerated claims about its cost and also undermined its utility. However, he said, the time has practically shown the benefits of this project as more than 1.75 lakh passengers, including lawyers, doctors, students and women travel by this modern transport service. He said that as a result of metro bus service, poor people including labourers, workers and common citizens reach their destination faster than those having costly cars which is a proof of the benefit of the project.
Shahbaz said that some political parties without exposing themselves are trying to create hurdles in the execution of the project on various pretexts, including environmental issues. He said that judiciary has not given stay order to such critics keeping in view the interests of the public. The CM appealed to Nawaz to review the decision taken at the time of approval of the project of provision of fifty-fifty percent funds by the federal government and the province because compared to Islamabad section, more land will have to be acquired on the section of Murree Road in Rawalpindi and it will not be possible for the province to bear the burden of payments.
He assured the traders of Murree Road that payments would be made to them at the market rate for their land and property just as it was done in the case of Lahore metro bus project. He said that vision of the PM would be implemented with hard work and dedication and the mission of public service would continue.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, provincial ministers Ashfaq Sarwar, Tanvir Aslam, Sher Ali, senators, MNAs, party ticket holders, representatives of chamber of commerce and industry, lawyers, women and prominent personalities from different walks of life attended the ceremony.