Pak Business Express slashes fares to stay on track

In a bid to keep the Pakistan Railways’ first public-private venture afloat, Pak Business Express announced fare cuts on business and budget class coaches for the upcoming off-season.

The six-month old partnership enterprise has been successful in taking much load off the crisis-hit Pakistan Railways (PR). The Rs510 million paid by the business to the state-owned carrier in royalties for using its rail network and other facilities is more than the grand total PR made from all other train combined.

The amount was enough to cover PR’s losses for five of the past six months as the national carrier announced earlier that it incurs a loss of Rs100 million a month.

The joint-venture of Pak Business Express, portrayed by Pakistan Railways authorities as vital for the state owned carrier’s revival, has been battling crises since its inauguration. Although its departures and arrivals are on time, it is becoming tough for the management to continue the venture in its current format. The train achieved 100% occupancy, only a few times and that too was during the peak season of June and July. Presently, the occupancy rate declined to 50% according to the management, which compelled them to slash down fares on return tickets despite skyrocketing fuel costs. The budget class return ticket which previously cost Rs9,000 will now be available for Rs7,000. Similarly, the previous business class fare of Rs10,000 was revised to Rs9,000. However, the prices of one-way tickets will stay the same ie variable between Rs4,500 and Rs5,500.

The private company Four Brothers entered into a deal with the PR and invested Rs225 million to build the project. The privately-run enterprise is bound to pay between Rs1.5 million and Rs2.5 million per day to the Railways, according to the company’s management.

“Pak Business Express has so far spent Rs177.5 million to improve its services for passengers and paid Rs510 million to Pakistan Railways as royalty till date,” said Pak Business Express Project Director Mian Shafqat Ali. If the fixed cost to be paid to railways is calculated since the service’s inauguration, the total amount supposed to be paid to PR from February 3 till present amounted to Rs737.8 million. According to this, Pak Business Express has to still pay the outstanding dues of Rs227.8 million to the PR.

“We are unable to cover the daily fixed costs of Rs3.1 million as the company was facing losses, the amount which we paid daily to the Railways varied between Rs1.5 million and 2.5 million,” said Ijaz Ahmad, CEO of Pak Business Express while talking to The Express Tribune. We revised the fares for the winter season only to attain our maximum occupancy this season, we were also negotiating with the PR’s management to revise the royalty amount and total outstanding dues as we were not in a position to pay the hefty sum, Ahmad said. Nothing had been decided yet as our plea was under discussion with the higher officials of PR, he added.

Talking about the future of the business train, Ahmad said that we will not consider closing down this venture yet; however we were planning to reduce the number of services for the off-season. The current number of coaches in operation was nine including the luggage van in which six economy class seats and 24 berths were also attached. Pak Business Express was also planning to convert the majority of the coaches to economy class coaches, if it is successful the burden will decrease considerably, as only economy coaches achieved 100% occupancy rate, Ahmad said. However, this revised setup of coaches will be for an interim period which will end as soon as summer season begins, he added.

The success of the venture is providing much-needed funds to Pakistan Railways at a time when it is facing a huge financial deficit and many of its trains are waiting to be fixed in the workshops. Thus, the once invincible state-owned national carrier cannot afford to lose the Pak Business Express which pays its bills.

“We do not want this joint-venture to fail, and PR also does not want to lose its profitable enterprise, so we are hopeful that revised proposals will be finalised soon,” Ahmad said.

Public transport: ‘Tracking system now mandatory for public transport buses’

Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan said on Monday that installation of tracking devices in buses was now a requirement for operating in the city.

He was speaking at a meeting to review the LTC’s performance in the current year.

Hassaan said tracking devices had already been installed in more than 400 buses in the city’s fleet of 500.

He said the LTC had added 430 air-conditioned buses to its fleet this year. These, he said, included buses running on inter-city routes.

He said there was an information technology cell at the LTC to keep track of the buses.

The LTC chairman said that besides some local companies, Chinese, Korean and Turkish businesses had expressed interest in investing in the city’s public transport sector.

About a recently-launched driving school, Hassaan said the establishment of the school would help train drivers for public transport in the city.

Acting LTC CEO Amjad Hussain briefed the meeting about ongoing projects.

He said the LTC would reorganise some routes to tap full potential of the Metro Bus Service. He said the LTC had improved transportation between Lahore and some of its suburbs.

The meeting was told that a Korean Company, Pakor Global, had launched an air-conditioned bus service from the city’s general bus stand to Maraka.

Inauguration: NATCO makes its first transit in Azad Kashmir

Delayed thrice, the much-anticipated bus service by the Northern Areas Transport Corporation (Natco) was finally launched on Monday. To put a cherry on top, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Transport Authority Chairman Adil Mahmood Khan announced that commuters will not be charged for the inaugural transit, between Mirpur and Muzafarrabad.

A 42-seater Natco bus carrying 20 passengers left for Muzafarrabad at 4am as per schedule and returned back to Mirpur at 4pm. A duty magistrate and a number of police officials were deputed at different points along the route to ensure security.

Despite reservations of local transporters, the bus service has been issued route permits for three routes: from Mirpur to Chakothi via Muzaffarabad, from Mirpur to Islamabad and from Neelam valley to Islamabad via Muzaffarabad, said Khan, the chairman of the AJK Transport Authority.
“People [in AJK] were being forced to travel on substandard, dated and overloaded vehicles of private transporters for years,” said Mir Fazalur Rehman, a social worker, who lauded the launch of the public-sector Natco bus service.

The transport authority had initially declared that the service will be launched on September 3, but was delayed till September 6, and then again till September 20.

Metro Bus Service: Work on new Ravi bridge yet to start

Work is yet to begin on a key bridge across River Ravi for the Metro Bus Service project.

The chief minister has set a December deadline for completion of the project.

A Traffic Engineering and Planning Authority (TEPA) official associated with the project, who spoke on condition on anonymity, told The Express Tribune that building the 700-metre bridge could take up to six months. He believed that the earliest the project could be completed was by January 2013.

The project was started in February as the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). The name has been changed since to Metro Bus Service.

The original plan was for a 7-kilometre track from Gaju Matta to Kalma Chowk. It was later extended till Shahdara.

According to the original plan, the track would have been laid at ground level. The design was changed to include elevated tracks in May.

Other changes included expanding the Lahore Bridge and constructing a new bridge over River Ravi.

The TEPA official told The Tribune that work on the new bridge could not be started because of lack of funds. “The project cost has already risen by Rs7 billion,” he said. “A new Ravi bridge will cost another Rs1.5 to Rs2 billion,” the official told The Tribune. He called it an “uphill task” saying the bridge will require 70-metre deep piles.

He said that work on packages five and six (from Data Darbar to Niazi Chowk and Niazi Chowk to Shahdara) was also behind schedule.

The Traffic Engineering and Planning Authority official said that the government was now thinking of using the Ravi Bridge for Metro buses until the new bridge was constructed.

Mazhar Hussain, the TEPA director, declined to comment on whether or not the project will be delayed. He said work on packages five and six was continuing at “a decent pace”, adding that they were trying their best to meet the deadline.

He also said that the bus service was not dependant on the new bridge. He said in case the new bridge wasn’t built in time, the Ravi Bridge could be used by the MBS. “That is what the Planning and Development Department had originally proposed,” he said.

Metro Bus Service: Work on new Ravi bridge yet to start

Lahore Transport Company (LTC) on Saturday launched an air-conditioned bus service from General Bus Stand to Maraka (Route B-02).

The service was inaugurated by Korean Ambassador Chung Joo Choi and Minister for Planning and Development Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor.

Ghafoor said Pakistan is a land of opportunity. He said investment from Korean companies showed the strength of the relationship between the two countries. He said the new buses will stop at Lahore Fort, Azadi Chowk, Bhati Gate, Chauburji, Samanabad, Scheme Mor, Thokar Niaz Baig, Chuhng Training Centre and Mohlanwal on their way.

Acting CEO Amjad Hussain said as many as 430 new AC buses had been inducted into the existing fleet of buses since LTC was created. He said a transparent system to track the disbursement of subsidies had been developed.

Pakor Global CEO Jai I Kim and General Manager Sohail Ahmad also spoke on the occasion. LTC General Manager (Finance) Mariam Khawar, Senior Manager (Finance) Zafar Ahmad Qureshi, Senior Manager (Planning) Sara Khan, Manager (Planning and Operations) Huma Daha, Manager (Engineering and Infrastructure) Faisal Nisar, Manager (Enforcement) Shafiq Ahmad and Manager (Human Resources) Abid Hussain were also present.

Model town underpass: Govt approves construction but design undecided

The Punjab government has granted approval in principle for the construction of a one-way underpass for traffic entering Model Town from Ferozepur Road. Meanwhile, Model Town residents have demanded an alternative exit while construction is underway.

Project Director Mazhar Hussain, who is also a director at the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency, said that the government had approved the construction of an underpass, but various design details were yet to be finalised so he could not say how long the project would take.

Earlier, the government had approved a Rs200 million project to build a tunnel for a future underpass at the site. Construction companies SKB and Habib Constructions began building the tunnel around 10 days ago and have laid 50 of the 150 piles for the tunnel. But the construction work has resulted in a partial closure of the main exit from Model Town to Ferozepur Road, resulting in major traffic problems.

Officials familiar with the project said that the underpass would start some 90 metres from where the Kalma Chowk Flyover ends. The two-lane underpass would have two 150-metre ramps, one at the entrance and one at the exit. The central passage would be 30 to 50 metres wide. The officials said though the design had not been finalised, this was the construction plan for the tunnel approved earlier.

One official said that the approach to the underpass would be to the left of the bridge (for traffic heading towards Model Town) and motorists using the flyover would not be able to use it. He said that it was yet to be decided whether the approach would have two lanes or three lanes. He said that some land might have to be purchased for the project.

Motorists leaving Model Town and headed towards Kalma Chowk would use the slip lane while motorists wishing to go towards General Hospital would have to go via Ittefaq Hospital on inner Model Town roads. The official said that allowing traffic using the flyover to go down the underpass would slow traffic and cause accidents.

Residents of Model Town said that the ongoing works had resulted in traffic chaos. An elected Model Town Society official said that there were only two exits, at Ferozepur Road and via Garden Town. He said that the Ferozepur Road exit was partially closed and so the Garden Town exit was choked. He said that another exit point should be set up while the construction is underway.

He said that if traffic heading for Model Town was unable to use the flyover, there would be traffic jams under it. “They are creating traffic problems rather than addressing them,” he said, adding that residents were considering protests and approaching the courts with their grievances.

MTS Civil Engineer Taimoor said that the society had not been informed of the any recent developments on the underpass. He said that he had not been told of where the underpass would start or end, but if the exit was at Nursery Chowk, it was a bad idea as it would result in more traffic problems. He said that the society had demanded the project design so they could plan the relocation of services, but they were yet to receive it

Conservation society refuses to endorse BRTS

Indeed this will certainly be going to spoil most of the cultural part of the city ~ That's why in case of LRMTS, the metro train goes underground from Kalma chowk till data darbar ....... 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Lahore Conservation Society has refused to endorse three projects for which Chief Secretary Nasir Khosa sought its approval two weeks ago, the Society said in a statement on Wednesday.

The chief secretary had called the meeting to seek LCS input on the restoration of the facades of four historic buildings on The Mall; the planting of trees along the Canal; and the redesigned BRTS project, said Ajaz Anwar, a famous painter and the LCS information secretary. He said that he and architect Nayyer Ali Dada had attended the meeting, which included officials working on the BRTS project, of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, and from various government departments.

Anwar said that they had objections to each of the projects. He said that when the LCS moved the Supreme Court over the cutting of trees along the Canal for the expansion of the road, the government had pledged to plant 10 indigenous saplings for every tree cut down. “We still await the ‘ten saplings for each mature tree cut down’ in the process, as promised by the ‘Khaadim-i-Aala’,” said Anwar.

Instead, he said, the government had planted imported tree species that were not suitable to local conditions or local species of nesting birds. He said that three of every 10 planted saplings had died. He added that there had been no auditing of the wood from several hundred trees removed from both sides of the Canal.

Anwar said that he had concerns about the city government being put in charge of the restoration of the facades of four historic buildings on The Mall. “This is unacceptable. Experts should be called in to repair the Ghulam Rasool building, as it is a major part of our heritage. It should be restored to its original state and not be disfigured.” The building was recently damaged in a fire at the Ferozsons book store.

Meanwhile the redesigned BRTS track, Anwar said, violated the Antiquities Act of 2012.

He said that the elevated BRTS track would disrupt the view of Government College University, Badshahi Masjid and Data Darbar on the Lower Mall. “The Antiquity Act clearly states that any structure obstructing the view of a historic building should not be built, and they need to change their plan accordingly.

Further, the BRTS was a hindrance to all other forms of traffic. “Commuters, particularly those heading to the GCU High Tension Lab and Metropolitan Corporations Office, are hindered by the BRTS. They have to drive extra, losing time and fuel, to get to and from work,” he said.

Further, he said, the chief secretary had called a meeting on the BRTS with civil society members long after work on all three projects had started. “They should have engaged us with the BRTS and other projects from the beginning. Civil society cannot be made redundant. Their participation is important in the decision making process,” said Anwar.

He said that it was important that objections were discussed publicly rather than in a private meeting so people were educated about the issues and they could not easily be covered up.

He said that since its formation in 1984, the LCS had engaged in several campaigns to protest historic buildings such as Chauburji, Badshahi Masjid and Tollinton Market. “We are capable of getting out on the streets again if our demands are not met,” he said.

Environmental laws: EPD asked to address bus project violations

A complaint has been filed with the Environmental Protection Department citing violations of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act of 2012 by the government in the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit System project.

The complaint was filed to EPD Director General Maqsood Lak by Akhtar Awan, an environmental lawyer who runs Eco Green, a consultancy firm. He said in the complaint that the project was not sustainable in the long run.

He said that the elevated BRTS track threatened the scenic beauty of various areas and would result in a fall in property prices.

He said that proposals made at the public hearing of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the project for expanded footpaths and separate lanes for motorcycles and rickshaws had been ignored. He said after the EIA public hearing, an EPD team is supposed to do a survey and prepare a public inspection report reviewing the feasibility of the suggestions made at the public hearing.

He said that this had not been done with the BRTS. He said that a second public hearing should have been called immediately when the project plan was altered, but this had not happened.

Awan said that construction material and asphalt mixing equipment used in the construction was being stored at public parks. He said residents of The Mall and Riwaz Garden Housing Society, situated between MAO College and Chauburji, had been unable to use the park near the Planetarium.

He said the BRTS construction site between the Lower Mall and Mozang had still not been cordoned off. Big ditches had been left uncovered and these caused a number of accidents, several of them fatal. There had also been a rise in pollution since the project began. No public safety measures were in effect, he said.

Awan said he wanted to take the case to the environment tribunal, rather than the green bench of the Lahore High Court, as he expected the tribunal to be more sympathetic towards environmental concerns.

He said that Ahmed Rafay Alam, another environmental lawyer, had sought a stay order on the construction of the Kalma Chowk flyover because no EIA had been conducted.

“But the court allowed its construction, declaring it to be in larger interest of the public. I fear the same thing would happen if I take the case to the LHC,” he said. He added that the BRTS construction was in violation of Sections 12 and 16 of the PEPA.

An EPD official said that if a private person filed a complaint with the department that was not addressed within 30 days, the person could move the environmental tribunal.

The complaint has been forwarded to Naseemur Rahman Shah, the EIA director at the EPD. Shah said that he had asked District Officer (Environment) Azhar Iqbal to compile a report in response to Awan’s complaints. He said it was the DO’s job to track the environment hazards posed by large-scale projects.

Finally LHC allows govt to purchase 100 buses for Lahore

Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday allowed the government to open tenders for the purchase of 100 Euro-II compliant diesel buses for the Metropolitan Bus System (MBS). The government had sought to purchase 1,200 such buses.

The order was issued on an application filed by the government to vacate the stay order granted by Justice Ijazul Ahsan on a petition by a private transport company challenging the tender.

On September 3, Justice Ahsan had restrained the government from opening bids to purchase 1,200 Euro-II diesel compliant buses on a writ petition moved by Gujranwala City Tours through Advocate Tafazzul H Rizvi.

On Friday, Advocate General Ashtar Ausaf Ali, the transport secretary and some representatives of oil refineries appeared before the court.

Ausaf Ali said the government wanted to import 200 Euro-II diesel compliant buses for colleges and universities and 100 for the MBS within three months.

He said the stay order was stopping the government from completing the import of 100 buses.

He asked the court to allow the government to open bids for procuring 100 Euro-II diesel buses since the petitioner had no issue with the purchase of buses for the MBS.

Transport Secretary Captain (retired) Muhammad Yousaf told the court Euro-I compliant diesel buses were causing environmental pollution while Euro-II compliant diesel buses would not do so.

The PARCO representative said they had ample stock of Euro-II diesel for supply on demand.

However, representatives of PSO and Attock Oil Refinery said they did not produce the required grade of diesel.

The counsel for the petitioner said PARCO had only 166 of the 4,100 petrol pumps in the province, most of them in Lahore.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan recorded the arguments and granted the governments’ request to be allowed to open bids for the purchase of 100 Euro-II buses. The court adjourned further hearing till September 17.

The petitioner had contended the government wanted to purchase 1,200 Euro-II compliant diesel buses, which would be given to operators, potentially including the petitioner on against soft term mortgages.

BRTS Buses: LHC turns down Government Plea challenging Stay Order

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday turned down a petition by the government challenging a stay order issued against opening bids to purchase 1,200 Euro II compliant diesel buses.

A law officer representing the government said Euro II compliant diesel was available in Pakistan.

He said the stay order meant that the government would not be able to purchase buses for the Metro Bus Service (MBS) in time. He asked the court to vacate the stay order.

However, Justice Ijazul Ahsan dismissed the plea and summoned an oil company representative on September 17 to provide a report on the availability of the required fuel.

On September 3, the judge had restrained the provincial government from opening bids for the purchase of 1,200 diesel buses.

The petition was moved by Gujranwala City Tours. The petitioner said the government was planning to purchase the buses and hand them over to operators against a soft terms loan.

He said Euro II compliant diesel was not available in the province and oil refineries had stated they would be unable to produce it in the near future.

He said the government had earlier purchased CNG buses which too are not operating three-days a week due to non-availability of CNG.