Spending billions on modern public transport facilities :Shahbaz Sharif

Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore:Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that provincial government, under a comprehensive policy, is 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 is being introduced in big cities for the benefit of the people. He said that a modern system of public transport has been launched in Lahore and Faisalabad while modern and comfortable bus service will soon be available to the people of other cities as well. He said that under public transport scheme, 1200 buses manufactured by Chinese company Ankai are being acquired which will revolutionize the transport system. He said that this scheme will rid the people of the obsolete and uncomfortable public transport buses and they will reach their destination easily.

He was addressing a high level meeting regarding the launching of new public transport system. The meeting considered in detail the matters regarding introduction of modern transport system, issuance of concession cards to students and other issues. Provincial Transport Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman, Chairman Lahore Transport Company Kh. Ahmad Hasaan, Vice Chairman Mehr Ishtiaq, Chairman Planning & Development, Divisional Commissioners, District Coordination Officer Lahore and other officers were present. Addressing the meeting, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that public transport system is the identity of a developed and civilized society and said that result oriented measures have been taken for the improvement of public transport system during the last four years which have especially benefited the common man. He said that private investment in public transport system is being fully encouraged. He said that the government has also decided to give the facility of concessionary tickets to the students and a flat rate of 10 rupees has been proposed for the benefit of students. He said that student cards will be of modern design and it will not be possible to copy them. Similarly, he said that electronic ticketing system will also be initiated for the passengers.

  The Chief Minister informed the meeting that trackers will also be installed in the public transport buses for ensuring that these buses should complete their roots. He said that facility of workshop will be available to the operators in Lahore and other cities for the repair and provision of spare parts of the buses operating under public transport system. The Chief Minister directed that a practicable method of insurance of these buses should also be evolved. He said that besides education and health, a modern public transport system is also the basic right of the masses and in this connection, unprecedented measures taken by the government have especially benefitted to the masses. Earlier, Chairman Lahore Transport Company Kh. Ahmad Hasaan informed the meeting about the measures taken for modernizing the public transport system.