The Lahore Transport Company (LTC) and urban transporters are at odds on provision of free transport facility to senior and special citizens, which has increased sufferings of such commuters, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Commuters, having LTC specialised cards for senior and special citizens, are being denied free transport facility on showing these cards and conductors misbehave with them for showing card instead of giving fare. Citizens are annoyed at the LTC for failing to comply with its commitment to provide free public transport facilities to old aged citizens and the disabled, which was promised by LTC Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan in March. Khalida Amin, a senior citizen told Pakistan Today, she got a LTC specialised card for senior citizens with ID 2011-SC-492 two months ago and but it is of not use, as conductors did not honor it.
“I was traveling on Friday on a Makks Metro Company’s bus bearing registration number LZR-1069 on route number 33 when a conductor misbehaved with me on showing this card and I had to buy a ticket of Rs 20,” she said.
On the other hand, transporters say that they are not being subsidised by the Punjab government on fuel and expenses exceed income, therefore, they are unable to provide such facilities to commuters. Makks Metro Bus Service Owner Javed Butter said that the LTC is not giving them anything then how could they provide good services to commuters. “LTC does not include us in decision making and informs us about such issues when they are finalised.
That is why we give a deaf ear to their instructions,” Butter said. Makks Metro buses run on route number 33 from Green Town to Railway Station. Butter said that such a bus trip consumes 22 liters of diesel that costs more than Rs 2,000 while cash generated in one trip did not exceed Rs 1,300 and a transporter is bearing losses of thousands each day.
The LTC had come up with a plan that citizens of more than 65 years of age and the disabled would be given free transport facilities in Lahore through specialised transport cards. Senior citizens and the disabled would have to submit their photographs, identity cards and applications to the LTC for getting specialized cards. Rs 100 would be charged for a lifetime LTC card. The LTC had also planned to issue discounted fare cards for students using public transport facility, but the scheme has not been implemented yet.
LTC Public Relations Director Amjad Bhatti, admitting incompetence, said that it is part of a big problem. “Major issues are inadequate transport facilities and increasing fuel prices, which are disturbing transporters to provide satisfactory services to the public,” he said.
Bhatti justified the company’s inability to enforce its writ on transporters saying that the LTC did not have enough traffic enforcement officers (TEO) to cover all routes. He said that more TEOs are under training and would soon be included in the field. Bhatti said that the LTC has issued around 400 specialised cards to senior and special citizens.
“We have also received a few complaints of such kind and resolved them on a priority basis, but we are unable to keep an eye on all routes due to insufficient infrastructure,” he said.
