CNG Buses Import from India Opposed

LAHORE (July 24 2008): Pakistan Auto Parts Exporters Association (Papea) Chairman Tahir Javed Malik has strongly opposed the government decision to import CNG buses from India and said it would kill the domestic auto-parts manufacturing industry.

Talking to Business Recorder here on Wednesday, Malik said India was very developed and far ahead of Pakistani industry while at the same time it had given a lot of protections and incentives to its industrial sector.

He demanded of the government to withdraw its decision, saying: "We are unable to compete with them in this trade." Former chairman of Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers PAPAAM Chairman Syed Nabeel Hashmi while reacting to the government decision said that this trade policy was a bomb-shell for the local industry.

He said that in India they converted their diesel buses to CNG and that technology could be introduced in Pakistan by encouraging the local industry. He was amazed that the government had allowed import of used LPG gas cylinders and old buses and alleged that it might have been allowed to benefit some people. He said: "We had buses here and industry, too, and could easily ask our people to work on this technology and convert the present fleet of buses from diesel to CNG.

Meanwhile, some industrialists have demanded that import of CNG buses from India should be linked with Indian investment and transfer of technology to the Pakistani vendor industry.Talking to Business Recorder former president of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Iftikhar Ali Malik said that the government should select only Indian assemblers, who give guarantee to invest in Pakistan, establish manufacturing plants, transfer the necessary know-how to local vendor industry and also ensure buy back arrangements.

Iftikhar Malik, who is also a former chairman, Pakistan Automobile Spare Parts Importers & Dealers Association, said that permission to import second hand prime movers buses under TR and special purpose trucks in the Trade Policy 2008-09 has proved that successive governments have failed to implement the deletion programme. "Had Pakistan diligently followed its deletion programme, it would have been not only self-sufficient in case of Japanese vehicles like Hino, UD Nissan but also exporting to other countries", he added.

Malik regretted that Pakistan has been made paradise for the automobile assemblers, which had not passed any worthwhile technology to the Pakistani vendor industry though it has adequate in house engineering facilities to produce such parts. He quoted the shining example of Massey Ferguson UK Tractors as an example that has achieved over 90 percent deletion.

He, who has over 30 years experience of the engineering industry, said that Asian countries, which strictly implemented their deletion programme have now acquired the technical know-how to manufacture complete vehicles with the help of local vendor industry. However, in Pakistan, successive governments allowed import of junk under various schemes and wasted foreign exchange.

Malik also suggested that the Japanese should also be asked to base their next automobile units in Pakistan on local vendor industry to benefit the development of small industries.

LRTP SCAM ---- What to Say

While reading the Following News, I feel ashamed of what we are doing as a Pakistani.... Simply looting and looting and thinking for just oneselves and families. Indeed Ironic

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LAHORE, July 22: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has frozen bank accounts worth Rs45 million and seized 11 residential and commercial properties, besides four vehicles belonging to the two officials of the provincial transport department on the charges of embezzling over Rs400 million in the Light Rail Transit Project (LRTP).

The Asian Development Bank-funded project which had been in doldrums for several years is now scheduled to be completed by June 2010.

The embezzlement surfaced when the bureau investigated the charges leveled by a complainant that two officials of the transport department – Shahnawaz (section officer) and Shamshad Gulzar (cashier) – along with some other officials and officers had embezzled over Rs400 million allocated for the LRTP feasibility report.

According to the NAB officials, bank accounts worth Rs45 million in the names of both accused, their wives and a relative had been frozen while the bureau had also confiscated 11 residential and commercial properties of the accused located in Lahore, besides impounding four vehicles belonging to them.

Though none of the accused has been arrested so far, their names have been placed on the Exit Control List (ELC) on the NAB’s request.

The officials said further investigation was underway and more officials and officers of the transport department could be included in it. “If the evidence is found against the top officers during the course of investiga tion they would not be spared,” they added.

A senior officer expressed surprise how could the provincial government proceed against those involved in a foreign-funded project without establishing a project management board comprising officers of ‘integrity and good repute’. “If at the feasibility stage such glaring irregularities have come to light it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the project must be executed in transparent manner,” he said.

On the other hand, the AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE) has also registered a case against Shahnawaz, Shamshad and four of their relatives on the complaint of regional transport secretary.

The FIR has also sought to ‘determine the role of the then secretary, Agha Nadeem, and the principal accounts officer and others in the scam.’ The volume of the fraud mentioned in the FIR is Rs1 billion. Though the NAB and ACE are reportedly coordinating in the investigation, the latter appears to be ‘not clear’ from where to begin with.

According to the proposed project, a 17-foot high rail track is to be laid from the Lahore Bridge on the Ravi near Shahdara to Bhatti Chowk and then from Bhatti Chowk to the new airport terminal complex.

In the project, magnetic levitation technology would be used for traction with a computerised system run without a driver. The average speed of the train would be 600km to cover distance between Shahdara to the new airport in 31 minutes reducing the average traveling time by about one hour.

PAAPAM flays 10-year old CNG Buses Import from India

KARACHI (July 22 2008): Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (Paapam) has flayed allowing, in the Trade Policy 2008-09, import of 10 years old CNG buses from India.

Paapam Chairman M A Malik in a statement said that Pakistan would become a junkyard of used machinery as a result of the measures announced in the new Trade Policy because after 5 years the buses used for public transport lose their efficiency and, after 10 years, outlive their utility. After the import of outlived buses, the government would be forced to allow import of spare parts from India to keep them in running condition.

Asian Development Bank Draft For Implementation of Lahore Mass Transit Project

The Following Draft shows ADB's plan for implementation of Lahore Mass Transit System Project.....

Government Decides to Launch 8000 CNG Buses

LAHORE: The government has decided to launch 8000 CNG busses in ten major cities of the country while a monitoring cell to control prices of essential food items has been formed which will work under the supervision of the Prime Minister.Federal Minister for Information, Sherry Rehman said this while briefing the media after the Federal Cabinet’s meeting held under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani here at Governor House on Wednesday.

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This shows that Government is sincere in solving the major problems faced by general public.

Seminar on CNG Bus Terminal Fuelling Station

LAHORE: Rastgar and Company in collaboration with an international CNG equipment manufacturer, GreenField USA, organised GreenField CNG bus terminal fuelling station seminar Friday.GreenField Manager, Far East T J Li conversed the benefits and need of CNG bus terminal fueling stations in Pakistan.

Maqsood Zulfqar, director, Rastgar emphasized the requirement of CNG bus terminal fuelling stations in Pakistan with 08 to 15psi CNG pressure. He added “we are delighted to review the efforts of City Government, allocating Rs 500 million in financial year 2008-2009 for 500 CNG buses and importance to establish fuelling station to make transport affordable. staff report

Urban Transport Business on Verge of Collapse’

THE business of urban transport is on the verge of collapse due to recent abrupt increase of diesel price along other operational elements. Country General Manger Daewoo Pakistan Inam Sheikh stated that the company had been going through very serious financial crunch, and it had become unnecessary for the company management to further continue urban bus service in Lahore.

He said the company had tried its best to provide AC urban bus service to the general public and paid higher price in term of losses. He further stated that it had been observed that some other companies tried their level best to run AC bus service in Karachi and other cities but sooner or later they had closed their services due to operational losses. He stated that the Daewoo was the only urban AC bus service which was operational.

Snag-Hit Gas Station Project to Delay Arrival of CNG buses

KARACHI, July 4: A lack of progress in the city government’s project to build five gas stations has become a serious impediment in the arrival of CNG buses in the metropolis.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, in his recent budget speech, announced that the city government would bring in 500 CNG buses during the financial year 2008-09 for which Rs500 million had been allocated from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). However, it would be next to impossible for intending operators to ply the buses in the absence of filling stations as the existing filling stations are not meant for the large buses.

Under its CNG buses project, the government has promised intending operators that it will give subsidy on the mark-up and provide filling stations and depots for the CNG buses to encourage them so that they can bring in more buses to the city. But there has been no progress in the implementation of the project because of the delay in setting up the five filling stations at the defunct Karachi Transport Corporation depots.

The city government had asked for an expression of interest (EOI) from local companies in July last year to build, operate and manage five filling stations for CNG buses, one each in Malir, Surjani, Shah Latif Town, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Orangi Town. In response, local firms submitted 33 EoIs for the five stations a year ago, but the CDGK has failed to award any contracts so far.Well-placed sources cite several reasons for the delay, including the non-availability of proposed sites and required gas pressure.

They said some proposed sites were in the possession of the Pakistan Rangers and they were unwilling to vacate the premises in the absence of any alternative arrangement. Besides, the compressed natural gas was being provided by the Sui Southern Gas Company, with a pressure of seven pound per square inch (psi), which was insufficient for large buses, the sources said.“The gas pressure required for filling a bus is 35 psi,” said Executive District Officer (Transport) Malik Zaheerul Islam.“It is a big problem and we have brought this matter to the knowledge of the federal government and the SSGC authorities.

We had a series of meetings with the SSGC during the last three to four months and the company finally agreed to lay the required gas lines with a minimum pressure of 30 psi.”He said the planning commission played an important role in the development. The SSGC completed its survey and it would also bear some expenses as the project was financially viable for it, he added.

The EDO agreed that there was a delay in the setting up of CNG filling stations that coincided with the arrival of CNG buses. “In the light of new findings, the CDGK has decided to re-advertise the RFPs (request for proposal) to set up CNG stations for buses as we want to make the transport affordable,” he said.

He said the city government raised the issue of some depots occupied by Rangers with the provincial and the federal governments and they agreed to get the premises vacated from the paramilitary force.

Shahbaz Re-launches Varan Bus Service

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday re-launched Varan Tours bus service in Rawalpindi.He also announced that work on the Elevated Expressway over Murree Road would begin soon, saying the project will ease traffic flow between Mareer Chowk and Faizabad on the city’s busiest artery.

Speaking at the function, where local MNAs and MPAs, senior officials of provincial and city district governments and many others turned up, the chief minister said that it’s unfortunate that commuters wasted their precious time waiting at bus stops.He said that the Punjab government was committed to providing better travelling facility to the people of the province and revolutionary measures were being taken for the purpose.

He said that the government had made a new transport scheme under which a quality public transport service would be guaranteed throughout the province. He said that 25 per cent funding to this ambitious project would come from the provincial kitty. He said that the scheme was aimed at providing commuters with quality transport at affordable charges.Shahbaz said that the PML-N led provincial government was striving to end people’s deprivation through provision of better facilities.

He said that efforts were on to provide justice, education and health facilities on the doorstep of the common man.He accused the last government of wasting resources thoughtlessly by purchasing luxurious items for themselves.Shahbaz said that no nation could survive without justice and the PML-N was raising its voice for restoration of the deposed judges including chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

He said that his party would never accept the incumbent PCO judges. Varan Tours Chairwoman Uzma Gul said on the occasion that she had to close down transport service in the past due to the last government’s political victimisation.She said that the service’s closure cost 1,200 employees their jobs. She said that over 200,000 commuters used to travel in Varan buses daily.

She said that the company would try its best to provide commuters of Islamabad and Rawalpindi with a quality transport service.

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Lahore also needs Shahbaz Sharif attention towards revamping transport system sepecially the present Bus system and Mass Transit too.

US Company Shows Interest in CNG Buses

KARACHI: A three-member delegation of the US Foton Bus Company has shown interest in operating environment-friendly CNG buses in Karachi by submitting a proposal to initially ply two buses on an experimental basis and then extend the service, said Sindh Transport Minister Akhtar Hussain Jadoon.

The delegation comprised company president Perry T D Lockerly, VP Joseph Verghese and their Pakistan representative Modern Motors Director Shahryar Rafiq.The city has 40 approved routes. The delegation inquired about fares and said that the buses will be designed according to the weather of Pakistan. app/ppi