Local bus service to be started in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar has said that soon local bus service would be started in Rawalpindias VARAN urban transport company and one other transport companies have shown interest in re-launching urban transport service in the city after getting their buses repaired.

He said World Bank will provide a loan of Rs.150 million to five District Governments of the Punjab for improving services in Solid Waste Management, Water and Sanitation, and Urban Transport sectors which would help in providing better and improved services to the people in these sectors.

Rawalpindi City District Government would also be provided share from this loan by the Punjab Government and this loan would be utilized for improving landfill site, lifting of solid waste, improving transferring station, bus stand and incentives for commuters of CNG buses, he said DCO said that the loan being obtained from the World Bank would also be utilized for the improvement of Pirwedhai Bus Stand.

He informed that a loan of Rs.600,000 was demanded by the VARAN urban transport to get their buses repaired, but an amount of Rs. 400,000 would be provided to them for repair of their buses.

He said that along with the bus service, the wagon service already running on Murree Road and other routs would also be continued so that the citizens may avail sufficient facilities of transport.

He informed that daily 200 tons solid waste is being lifted from the city and carried to Transferring Station Rawat and there after it is shifted to land fill site near Villege Losar.

He said that the loan would also be utilized for installation of energy plant at landfill site to generate Electricity and benefit the local population which will also maintain the hygienic atmosphere in the area.

DCO informed that the Punjab Government would decide the volume and share of loan for city District GovernmentRawalpindi from the total amount of loan mentioned above.

CM Inaugurated Bus Rapid Transit System

Never saw him so active in the last three years ..... Its all because elections are near ..... 
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The chief minister also laid the foundation stone for the First Bus Rapid Transit System on Ferozepur Road. In the first phase of the project, 27 kilometres of dedicated bus lanes will be built from Gajju Mata to Shahdara.

He said that 15 kilometres of bus lanes will be built under the project by March. A Turkish firm is helping the government develop a modern bus transport system, he said. The Punjab government has also signed an agreement with a Turkish company in the solid waste management sector.

LTC Working for Students Fare

This shows that they are serious in letting the service go ............
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Lahore Transport Company (LTC) chairman Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan has constituted a team to interact with the heads of education institutions to generate awareness and identify elements among the student community responsible for disrupting public transport in the city.

Committee members have met with the principals of Gulberg College for Boys, Islamia College Civil Lines and Dayal Singh College, vice chancellor Punjab University and, Superior University. The committee is working on developing options for student fare concessions in consultation with the heads. Hassaan said, he hoped to announce a student fare scheme soon.

The LTC chairman told a programme review meeting that education institution heads would be held responsible for any incidents of hooliganism by their students. He said police and the LTC enforcement staff would provide security to the buses operating in the city.

The media, he added, had played a positive role in mobilising public opinion in favour of ensuring an efficient and affordable transport system in the city.

Hassaan also said he expected parents to play their role in making students appreciate the projects launched by the city government.

Transport Master Plan 2030: KMC

Keep making plans ..... from 2020, now its 2030 ......... suffering of the commuters will keep growing 
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KARACHI: Administrator, Karachi Municipal Corporation, Muhammad Hussain Syed has underlined the need of coordinated measures to solve transport problems in the mega city.

According to a statement issued here Tuesday, this he said in meeting with a delegation of Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

He said that the city administration is working on Transport Master Plan 2030, which was prepared in collaboration with JICA to improve transport system.

He said that the project, which kicked off last year, is currently in planning stage. Planning is divided in two phases and the work on Phase-I would be completed by the end of June this year. The second phase will further take two years to complete.

He said a Bus Transit System (BTS) or a Rail Transit System (RTS) or a combination of both is being planned for the city.

A detailed study concerning the site of the project is being carried out by a consultancy team from Japan and Pakistan at different corridors of the metropolis.

He hoped that after completion of these projects, transport problems of the city will be resolved and people will get better transport facilities.

Public Transport: Foton Buses may Resume Operations Today

Oh these students are no less than a Mafia .......... but LTC should come in and work out a concession for the students as they promise in the beginning 

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LAHORE: 

The Foton Bus Service remained suspended for a third day on Sunday, in protest at the vandalism of buses and beating and intimidation of drivers by college students.

Foton stopped running its buses on Friday after college students held up two buses and demanded to ride for free, thrashed the bus drivers and other crew members, vandalised the vehicles and even stole their money. This has happened several times since the service began in Lahore last month, including on its first day.

Students of public sector colleges have long used such tactics to reach an informal understanding with local transport companies that they will not pay for rides. However, the Chinese company was long wooed by the Punjab government to invest in public transport in the province and the company is putting pressure on local authorities to get the students to behave.

Lahore Transport Company (LTC) officials said they were optimistic that Foton would restart the service on Monday, after assurances from local authorities and the police that their buses would be protected, as well as discussions with student groups.

“Foton has assured us that they will run their buses on Monday,” said Tanveer Sadiq, LTC’s senior operations manager. “We have been meeting with student leaders and groups to resolve the problem.” He said that the police had pledged to protect Foton’s buses.

LTC Chairman Khawaja Hassaan told The Express Tribune that the company had written to all government colleges to propose that they incorporate bus fares in their fees, which would remove their incentive to hold up and vandalise buses. “We are meeting with students and teachers to decide the tariff,” he said. “The buses are meant to make travel more convenient for the students so they should not be breaking them.”

However, he added, the LTC would not be able to make bus cards for students of all public and private colleges, so a separate proposal to reduce bus fares was also under consideration. “We are considering reducing the fare between stops from Rs15 to Rs5, and on long journeys from Rs30 to Rs10,” he said.

Transport competition

Foton and LTC officials said that they suspected local transport companies had paid people to pose as students and disrupt their service, as the Chinese company’s entry in the public transport sector signalled unwelcome competition.

Hasasan said that local transport “mafias” may be involved in the attacks on Foton buses. “The rickshaw mafia and wagon mafia don’t want buses to prosper,” he said. “We are keeping an eye on all the mafias and will take action against them if they are involved.”

Arshad Khan Niazi, owner of a well-known transport company, denied that his company was involved in any such business. “We are not gangsters who hire thugs to trouble other businesses,” he said.

He said that local transport companies were accustomed to the “tough environment” created by the students but continued to operate. “We believe in forgive and forget since maintaining good relations with our customers is important, unlike foreign companies that are only here to mint money,” he said.

As Usual: CNG buses tender goes to 6th lowest bidder

The Punjab government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to supply 575 CNG air conditioned buses to the citizens, with a financial bidder who was at the sixth position, rejecting five other bidders, official documents of the bidding revealed. 

According to official documents available with The News, the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) - owned by the Punjab government and registered under section 42 of Companies Ordinance 1984 - has awarded the tender to a Chinese firm, Anhul Ankai, whose bid was the sixth lowest. The Company ignored other bidders ready to supply the buses on much lesser price than the firm. 

According to the documents, the successful company demanded a price of $75653 for a bus whereas the lowest bidder was Shanghai Sunlong bus Co Ltd which demanded $62490 for a bus. Among other bidders, Plum Qingqi Motors Ltd/XIAMEN Golden Dragon Bus Company Ltd was the second lowest financial bidder with the bid money of $67450 per bus; Norinco Motors/Yutong was the third lowest financial bidder with a bid price of $68350 per bus; and Zhongtong Bus Holding Company of was the fourth lowest financial bidder with bid price of $69375 per bus. However, this bidder filled two bids and its lowest bid was $60375 per bus. 

Interestingly, the LTC gave the tender to Anhul Ankai, signing a MoU to bring 575 buses in Lahore city, ignoring all other bidders. 

When contacted, political advisor to Punjab chief minister and LTC chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassan, told The News that tender was awarded on the basis of evaluation marks, including financial and technical bids and five year maintenance costs of these buses. He said financial bid was the one aspect of the process while other matters were also equally important to award tender. However, he refused to tell the details of the grounds on which the lowest financial bidders were rejected, saying that this could not be told off hand without seeing the documents in details. 

On the condition of anonymity, the representatives of a company participating in the bidding process alleged that the LTC had not involved and intimated them after opening of financial bid documents. He said the LTC had knocked out the lowest financial bidders without informing them about the reason of their failure while signing MoU with sixth financial bidder. It put question mark on the transparency of the project. 

He said that the LTC had not even returned the bid money to unsuccessful bidders, despite getting it in August 2011. 

Adnan Mudassar, General Manager Finance of LTC, told The News that the Anhul Ankai had scored 189 marks after evaluation of financial and technical bids while the second bidder score was 170 points. He said the LTC had followed the World Bank Process QCBS (quality and cost base selection) method in evaluating and awarding the tender of the buses. He said that successful company buses was the best international certification under which, if a bus met an accident, only front and back windscreens would be broken while the windows glasses would not be damaged. 

Other then this, the successful bidder had also made a commitment to establish assembly line of their buses in Lahore, he added. He said that the final price between the LTC and successful bidder was decided at $70,000 per bus against the filled price of $75653 while the company would complete the supply of buses April 2012. 

He said that the process of returning the bid money to unsuccessful bidders had started. They would also be informed about their evaluation score, he added. 

LRMTS to be completed by 2020: Urban Transport Master Plan for Lahore

So guys give up all hopes now as finally now this Master plan gives the date of completion of Green Line of LRMTS by 2020 ......... Probably we can see it when most of us will be pretty old
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Shahbaz buys ticket, travels as ordinary passenger in bus

That is what needed to be done in order to really understand the commuters problem ......... Great job CM but we want to see more n more buses on the roads of all country at the earliest as you have already wasted three years in bringing them on the roads

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PUNJAB Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday traveled as an ordinary commuter without any security or protocol in a newly launched urban transport bus in the provincial metropolis.

The other passengers of the bus were pleasantly surprised to see the chief minister and the bus resounded with the slogans of “Chief Minister Punjab Zindabad.” 

Urban Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan also accompanied him. The chief minister paid for the bus ticket and inquired from the fellow passengers about the new transport service. Expressing his views, a worker, Muhammad Yasin, said that people of Lahore were thankful to the chief minister for providing an affordable and comfortable bus service to Lahorites. The passengers requested the CM to increase the number of buses. The chief minister also went to the cabin of female passengers and informed them that a separate bus service would soon be launched for them. 

A student of the Government Gulberg College, Muhammad Siam, said that it was a wrong impression that students want to travel in the new buses free of charge but on the contrary they were grateful to the Punjab government for this facility and would continue to extend their cooperation.

It may be mentioned that when the chief minister boarded the bus from Model Town, no one had information about it and the bus continued to stop on its route to pick up passengers.

MEMOGATE SCANDAL: Shahbaz Sharif has said that Memogate scandal is a conspiracy against Pakistan’s sovereignty, survival and defence and its architects will have to be exposed. 

He said that every sacrifice would be made for the honour and solidarity of the country and the evil designs of the elements trying to weaken the country would be foiled. He was talking to assembly members of various districts here on Wednesday. He said that the person sitting in the President’s House was ready to go to any extreme to prolong his rule.

Pact with Chinese firm for 575 buses

CHIEF Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the Punjab government is implementing a strategy for the provision of an affordable and comfortable transport service to the people and a project has already been initiated in the provincial metropolis.

He was speaking during a ceremony held for signing an agreement between the Punjab government and Chinese firm, Anhui Ankai Automobile Company Limited, for provision of buses here on Monday. Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan and Chinese company Chairman Wang Jiang’an signed the document under which, the company would provide 575 modern CNG air-conditioned buses to for various big cities of the province.

Addressing the event, the chief minister said that the agreement signed with the Chinese company was a welcome step and the buses would be plied in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan and other big cities of the province. He said that the best operators would be selected for operating the transport system. He said CNG air-conditioned buses were plying on Lahore roads with the cooperation of Foton Company and now an agreement had been signed with Ankai company for acquiring 575 such buses.

Chairman Ankai Company Wang Jiang’an said that prosperity of Pakistani people was dearer to him than commercial interests and all-out cooperation would be extended to the government for providing buses to Punjab on soft terms.

Member Provincial Assembly Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmed, the Planning & Development chairman, secretaries of Transport and Finance departments and senior officials of the Chinese company were also present. Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif has said that agreements have been signed with Chinese companies for provision of modern transport facilities to the people and a transport network is being set up across the province.

Urban transport: LTC to Get Storage Tanks for Supply on Gas Holidays

LAHORE:

The Lahore Transport Company (LTC) is planning to import bowsers in which to store gas for use by buses on the three days a week that CNG stations are closed, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The LTC had asked the federal government to allow a few CNG stations to remain open from Monday to Wednesday so its CNG buses could continue running on these days. At the inauguration of a new bus service in the city earlier this month, LTC Chairman Khawaja Hassaan said that he was hopeful that they would get an exception on the gas holidays.

However, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) told the company recently that no relief would be given to the urban transport sector because there was a shortage and all CNG stations would remain closed on the gas holidays.

The LTC is now hoping to get around that restriction by importing large high pressure storage containers, called bowsers, and filling them up on days when gas is available. On gas holidays, the CNG buses would get filled up from the bowsers.

However, it is not clear whether, given the gas shortage, the LTC will have its way.

Gas pressure

The LTC subsidises bus transport in the city to the tune of Rs1,250 per bus, per day (calculated when the price of diesel was around Rs60 per litre). Buses operating on CNG are cheaper to run and require less subsidy, which is why the company is pushing CNG transport.

Tanvir Siddiqi, LTC’s senior operations manager, said that the company hoped to outsource the project to import Mats bowsers and use them as the gas shortage would grow more acute as the winter sets in and temperatures drop. He said the tanks would be able to store 1,500kg of high pressure gas. He said they hoped to bring in 10 bowsers, at a cost of around Rs80 million, which would keep around 200 buses running on gas holidays. He said that bus companies were keen on the project.

Siddiqi said that the LTC had hoped to open CNG stations for buses only, but the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) was not allowing any new licences for CNG stations or any stations to remain open on gas holidays. He said that the LTC had sought approval for the project from the SNGPL in writing. He said that he did not believe Ogra would have any objection to the project as the bowsers that the LTC would import would be of a high quality, better than some approved by the regulator.

“We have told them to get permission from Ogra,” said SNGPL Managing Director Arif Hameed. “But if Ogra asks us, we would not recommend such a step because there is a gas shortage.”

Ogra Member (Gas) Mansoor Muzaffar said that the LTC would need to go through an approval procedure. First, the project bowsers would have to be examined by the chief inspector (explosions). Then there would be a public hearing. “If the LTC management passes these procedures they will be allowed to use the bowsers for gas storage,” he said.

20 new buses

Speaking on Saturday at the inauguration of 20 new buses for the First Bus Service (FBS) on Saturday, Hassaan said that the LTC was “planning a mechanism” for CNG storage so that buses could continue running on gas holidays. He said that CNG-fitted transport was an integral part of the company’s urban transport policy. He said CNG fuel was more environment-friendly than fuels like diesel.

The 20 new buses are to run on Route No 1, which runs from RA Bazaar to Sanda and covers The Mall. The company will now run the required number of buses (30) on this route, when previously it was operating only 17. The older buses are to be diverted to other routes. The FBS now has a fleet of 112 buses.

Hassaan said that the increasing investment in the urban transport sector, in the midst of economic gloom, indicated that investors had confidence in the Punjab government. He credited the chief minister for this, saying his “dynamic leadership” had created a good atmosphere for business.

He said that the LTC had started building new bus stops which would have ‘passenger-amenity booths’, route maps and other facilities. The LTC had also started repairing and cleaning existing bus stops.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2011.

Hello Foton, bye bye Daewoo

In a bid to revamp urban transportation in Lahore, the Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated a fleet of ‘environment friendly’ CNG buses last week to cater to the growing demands of public transport in the city. Run under the banner of the Foton Bus Company, a Chinese firm, the service has launched 56 of 111 CNG buses, with the rest scheduled to hit the roads of Lahore by the end 2011.

As a means of providing modern transportation to the provincial capital, which is in a desperate need of an efficient public transport system, the bus service is expected to provide both quality and affordability. The service is currently to run buses on three routes with an expansion of service on another route by December. According to a promotional advert, the new bus scheme is to provide air-conditioned buses to commuters, with separate seating for women along with free transport to the elderly and people with disabilities.

However, the new bus service which was inaugurated on last Tuesday (November 15), failed to run buses on their routes just a day into their launch, leaving commuters highly disappointed. The Lahore Transport Company was in for another embarrassment when the buses failed to hit the roads in full operation as late as Thursday, airing much scepticism in the general masses regarding the new bus service. One week later half of the 56 buses are not operating. Contrary to the official announcement, the LTC now claims the bus operations were never really scheduled to kick off a day after the inauguration.

Countering growing suspicions regarding the buses being run on the already short in supply CNG, it was announced at the bus service inauguration that the LTC had engaged the federal government in facilitating the provision of CNG for the Chinese buses during the weekly CNG holidays, a factor which might also play a key role in determining the success or failure of the scheme in the future.

The launch of the new bus service initially hopes to offer reasonable competition to the Daewoo city bus service, which is currently a major player in Lahore public transport. Both bus services having been inaugurated by the current provincial government 13 years apart from one another had been launched to provide affordable quality bus service to daily commuters in the city. The ticket fare, which is monitored by the LTC, has been designed to make the two services comparable on affordability. The inclusion of the latest fleet of the Foton buses with its attractive interior and in-bus entertainment service is bound to steal the show from their Korean counterparts. But to make itself a worthwhile competitor in the longer run, the Foton bus service will have to do more than just induct a hundred fancy buses in its fleet.

Daewoo has provided its service to commuters in Lahore since 1998, it has developed a loyal clientèle which expects air-conditioned buses to run on routes on time despite the weekly CNG holidays, which offers no hurdle to the service that runs on the not-so-environmental-friendly diesel. Daewoo currently has as many as 70 buses operating on four routes in the city. Last year they focused on improving the quality of their bus service by overhauling older vehicles in their fleet.

Now, with LTC bringing in the Chinese contenders on the roads, the Korean bus service might just be in for a surprise with the former claiming to put much premium on quality. The stakes are to rise in the coming days for all bus services in the city with the Chief Minister announcing as many as 200 ‘quality buses’ to be inducted in the public transport system of the city.

The dearth of buses in the city can be established by the fact that out of the 53 routes planned by the LTC for bus transport service, only 30 are operational in the city. According to LTC authorities, the city requires as many as 2,000 buses on the roads. In stark contradiction to this figure, an official estimate claims approximately 600 buses are currently offering public commuting in Lahore.

But with an increase in problems relating to public transportation, even the 2,000 figure by the LTC will have to be reconsidered. The lack of quality public bus service in the city has, over a period of time, increased the traffic on roads with people resorting to their own transport. With growing concerns of increasing pollution and traffic congestion on the roads of Lahore, measures must be taken to promote a healthier and environment friendly alternative. The challenge, however, largely lies in providing commuters with efficient, affordable and quality alternatives which will encourage them to use public transpo

Korean Cooperation in Transport: CM meets Korean Delegates

Some more activity by CM ....... as election are drawing near

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The ambassador of South Korea in Pakistan, Choong Joo Choi, met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif here on Saturday and discussed matters of mutual interest as well as cooperation in transport, mining, hydle power and other sectors.

Member National Assembly Pervaiz Malik, Chairman Lahore Transport Company Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan and the Transport secretary were also present.

Talking to the Korean ambassador, the chief minister said that Pakistan had cordial relations with South Korea which had made remarkable progress in various sectors. He said that there were vast opportunities of cooperation in different sectors in Punjab and the provincial government had created a favourable environment for promotion of investment and all facilities were being provided to investors under one roof. He said that he had visited South Korea during his last tenure and introduced a well-organized transport system for the first time in Pakistan in the form of Daewoo Bus Service.

He said that an air-conditioned CNG bus service had recently been launched in Lahore with the cooperation of Chinese company, Foton, which had resulted in availability of affordable, comfortable and efficient transport service to the people. He said that, in the next phase, similar transport facilities would be provided in Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and other big cities of the province.

He said that an agreement had been signed between the leading companies of Istanbul and Solid Waste Management for the disposal of solid waste from provincial metropolis while negotiations were also being held with different Korean companies for cooperation in various sectors - including Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) and Mono Rail project. He said that Korea had expertise in transport, hydle power, mining and other sectors and it could also extend cooperation in BRT and mono rail sectors in Punjab. He said that Daewoo was playing a commendable role in providing transport facilities to the people and, like other investors, Daewoo bus service would continue to be provided maximum facilities. He thanked the ambassador for taking keen interest in cooperation in various sectors and said that heads of various departments of Punjab government would send proposals to Korean Embassy in the light of which further steps would be taken for cooperation.

LTC Mismanagement: Problems Begin

This was indeed expected ....... when things started without any planning ..... Lets see how long they keep on plying ......... Shame on MAO College students

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LAHORE:

Issues with CNG supply and thuggish passengers plagued the Foton Bus Company on its first day of operations on Thursday, forcing it to suspend the service for several hours.

The bus service, initially introduced on three routes, was supposed to start on Wednesday. But unable to get CNG because of the two weekly gas holidays, the company had to delay the launch till Thursday.

The service started slowly yesterday with few buses plying the routes, as the supply of CNG only resumed early morning. Then in the early afternoon, the buses encountered students of MAO College at closing time.

The students forced the buses to stop and demanded free rides. This is common practice on bus routes that go past colleges, but it was a first for the Chinese management.

They immediately stopped all buses and informed the Lahore Transport Company (LTC). Service resumed around five hours later, by which time all the students were gone.

Meanwhile, several drivers complained that the company had warned them that they would be liable for any damage to the bus while they drive it. They said that this was unfair.

“We know the traffic, roads and commuters of this city,” said one driver. “There could be a strike somewhere and protestors might break the windows. Or a bad driver could hit the bus. Why should I be held responsible for that?”

A Lahore Transport Company official said that LTC staff would ensure that the students do not harass the bus drivers from Friday, but added that the FBC was still learning about the local public transport environment.

“Foton is an international company and all of its management is from China. They are not aware of the conditions in which transport operates in Lahore. This was the main reason they panicked and stopped operations,” said LTC Senior Operations Manager Tanveer Siddique.

He said that the LTC would deploy its enforcement staff at areas where students commonly got on buses to prevent them from harassing buses and drivers. “The enforcement staff will take care so in future no such issue occurs again,” he said.

He said that the LTC was “hopeful” that the management of FBC would not require that drivers pay for any damage to the bus.

At the inauguration ceremony for the bus service on Tuesday, LTC Chairman Khawaja Hassaan told The Tribune that the LTC was negotiating with the federal government for a few CNG stations to remain open on gas holidays (Tuesday and Wednesday) so these buses might continue to run.

Siddique said that for now, the company would have to restrict services on CNG holidays by running fewer buses during off-peak hours. He said the buses had greater capacity than other buses and could run the whole day on one CNG fill-up.