CM rides a double-decker bus, and likes it

Tourist bus service inaugurated in Lahore

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the first tourist double-decker bus service in the country at Punjab Stadium Lahore on Wednesday.

The chief minister visited the terminal of the bus service and himself purchased the ticket for the ride. He also visited the souvenir centre and saw the items displayed there.

Later, talking to media, the chief minister announced that the first tourist bus service of the country had been launched in the provincial metropolis. He said that free service would be provided to senior citizens, children below the age of ten years and disabled persons. He said that students would be charged Rs 100 while other citizens Rs 200. Double-decker buses will operate from Qaddafi Stadium to Minar-e-Pakistan. Sharif reminisced that double-decker buses used to ply in Lahore and other big cities and enhanced their beauty but with the passage of time these buses vanished.

Shehbaz Sharif said that double-decker buses that had vanished decades ago from Lahore and other cities of Punjab have been revived for the promotion of tourism. He said that people of Lahore and other cities including elderly persons and children would have recreational tour of Lahore through these buses and be able to see the historical places of the Walled City. He said that colorful rickshaws have also been arranged in the Walled City for the tourists of double-decker buses so that they could visit Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and other historical sites as well as enjoy traditional food in the Food Street and other places in the Walled City.

The chief minister said that the tourists travelling by these buses would also see the streets and Havelis of the Walled City. He said that tight security arrangements, trained staff and first-aid facility would be available on these buses. He said that the number of double-decker buses being operated for promotion of tourism would soon be increased.

Sharif said that he had personally travelled by a double-decker bus and found it very comfortable and splendid.

He appreciated the Provincial Minister for Tourism Rana Mashhood Ahmad, Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan, secretary tourism, Punjab Tourism Development Cooperation managing director, commissioner Lahore division, Walled City director general and other authorities concerned on the launch of the double-decker tourist bus service.

Replying to questions from the media personnel, Sharif said that he had issued instructions to concerned authorities to increase the number of buses as it would promote tourism as well as the soft image of Pakistan. Replying to a question, he said that the Metro Bus service was a public transport facility and hundreds of thousands of people used it to reach their destinations for a very small sum of Rs 20. He said that teachers, students, employees, lawyers, doctors, workers and labourers were benefitting from this transport facility whereas the double-decker bus service would be used for promotion of tourism in the country. He said that the supporters of the opposition, which criticised the Metro Bus project also travelled on metro buses and invited them to enjoy a ride of the tourist double-decker buses.

The chief minister further said that immediate measures would be taken for resolving the traffic problems being faced during the implementation of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project and said that he had issued instructions to CTO in this regard. He said that he was aware that people were facing traffic problems and these would be resolved on priority basis. He said that the problems caused during construction of Orange Line Metro Train project were temporary and would soon turn into a permanent facility. Members of national and provincial assemblies, senior officials and administrative officers were also present on the occasion.