Arriva Takeover Bid Confirmed by Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn, the German national rail company, has confirmed that it has tabled a bid for Arriva, the UK transport group. On Wednesday Arriva's shares rose 17% after it said it received a takeover approach, but did not name the bidder. But on Thursday Deutsche Bahn said it had made a cash offer for the group, but did not disclose its value. Deutsche Bahn already operates the Chiltern Railways route between London and Birmingham in the UK.
It also runs the UK's biggest rail freight operator, English Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS).
Arriva's shares rose another 4.6% on Thursday following the news. The Sunderland-based group is one of the largest transport groups in Europe, with operations in 12 countries. In the UK it runs several train and bus networks, including the majority of passenger rail services in Wales.
Earlier this year, Arriva confirmed it was in talks with French state railway group SNCF about a possible merger, but they later ended without agreement.

Karachi Circular Railway Project Hits Snags

This project will keep on delaying and delaying ......... as the project for the benefit of general public doesn't have much interests of our rich government.

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ISLAMABAD: The $1.5 billion Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, has hit snags because of the land transfer issue between federal and Sindh provincial governments.
Informed sources told Dawn that project donor Japan International Cooperation Agency had made it mandatory to complete the resettlement action plan, including identification and finalisation of the land needed to settle people to be affected by the project, before the agreement was sealed.
The transfer of the land title by Pakistan Railways to the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation is required to complete the resettlement action plan study.
It will include allocation and transfer of 357.5 acres of land at Jumma Goth for resettlement of the affected people, transfer of the land along the loop and the land along the main line from the Karachi City railway station to Drigh Road station.
The work on the project was expected to start during the current year and complete in three years, but differences over the transfer of railways’ land have delayed it.
The sources said that the Sindh government had ‘occupied’ several hundred acres of the railways department’s land, but it needs more to launch the project. The PR authorities are working on the issue and the federal minister for railways has held a meeting with the chief minister of Sindh recently to sort out the matter.
The sources said that work on the circular railway project could not be started until the land transfer issue was resolved.

S.Korea unveils 'recharging road' for eco-friendly buses

SEOUL: South Korean researchers Tuesday launched an environmentally friendly public transport system using a “recharging road” - with a vehicle sucking power magnetically from buried electric strips.

The Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV), towing three buses, went into service at an amusement park in southern Seoul. If the prototype proves successful, there are plans to try it out on a bus route in the capital.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which developed the system, says OLEV needs a battery only one-fifth the size of conventional electric vehicles and eliminates the need for major recharging.

It also avoids the need for overhead wires used to power conventional trams or trolley buses.
Guests including Seoul mayor Oh Se-Hoon and KAIST president Suh Nam-Pyo were given a 2.2-kilometre (1.4-mile) ride Tuesday around the zoo at Seoul Grand Park.Recharging strips have been installed in four segments totalling some 400 metres along the route.

Pick-up equipment underneath OLEV collects power through non-contact magnetic charging from strips buried under the road surface. It then distributes the power either to drive the vehicle or for battery storage.

If the system is used on Seoul bus routes, underground power lines would have to be installed on only 20 percent of the route at places like bus stops, parking places and intersections, KAIST said in a statement.

The technology was first developed in a project involving the University of California (Berkeley) but KAIST said that produced no tangible results.

The state-funded institute says it has applied for more than 120 patents in connection with OLEV, which it describes as safe, clean and economical.

“Of all the world's electric vehicles, this is the most economical system,”Suh told reporters, adding the operating cost is only about one-third ofordinary electric vehicles.

“The potential for application (of this technology to public transport systems) is limitless. I dare say this is one of the most significant technical gains in the 21st century,” Suh said.

Suh said KAIST plans to use OLEVs to shuttle delegates at the G20 summit which Seoul will host in November.

Project director Cho Song-Ho said technical breakthroughs included an improved way of transmitting power to the pick-up device on the vehicle chassis.

Cho said a gap of at least 11 centimetres (4.4 inches) was needed to take account of bumpy roads, while OLEV can suck power across a gap of up to 25 cm.

Given a normal gap, the vehicle can turn more than 70 per cent of the charge into energy for the vehicle, he said.

Investors Opportunity: SBP advises banks to avail grant for CNG Bus Project

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan has advised commercial banks that are willing to advance loans under Shaheed Benazir Bhutto CNG Bus Project, to approach SBP Banking Services Corporation for upfront payment of Rs 300,000 grant per bus.According to a Circular (BPRD Circular No. 3) issued by the SBP today, banks are advised to complete their due diligence based on the Concession Agreement signed by Operators/ Investors with the City District Government, Karachi before approaching the SBP-BSC Karachi office for down payment. The Federal Cabinet recently approved a scheme for launching dedicated CNG buses in the major urban cities of Pakistan for efficient environment friendly and as an affordable public transport. The Pilot phase of the scheme would start in Karachi during the current year in collaboration with the Government of Sindh and the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) followed by the other major cities. The Government of Pakistan will contribute a total of Rs 677,181/- as subsidy over 5 years towards the cost of one bus, which comprises Rs 300,000/- as upfront grant as part of down payment, and Rs 377,181/- as mark-up subsidy payable in 5 years (on monthly basis). It has been made mandatory for the operators/investors to ply at least 25 buses for a single route. The total amount, initially subscribed by the Federal Government for this pilot project is Rs 300 million. According to the Circular, banks are advised to immediately inform the SBP-BSC Karachi about the financial closure/deal with the operators/investors enabling them to provide with the requisite amount from the pool of Rs 300 million. This provision of amount once pledged would remain valid for 7 working days only, as this scheme would run till the exhaustion of Rs 300 million, it added.Moreover, banks are advised to approach the SBP-BSC, Karachi office for reimbursement of mark-up subsidy on monthly basis, which is 30 days from the date of the first disbursement. In this regard, the SBP BSC Karachi office, 30 days after the placement of order with the supplier for procurement of buses, will disburse the first monthly installment of mark-up subsidy, says the Circular. Banks are also required to immediately inform the SBPBSC, Karachi office to enable them to stop payment of mark-up subsidy in case where mark-up or principal is overdue by 90 days or more from the due date by the operators/investors. State Bank has also informed banks that the period required to procure buses will be 45 days from the date of the financial closure.It may be pointed out that any operator/investor ready to ply buses on different routes has to sign a concession agreement with the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) through the Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC). The operators/investors may file more than one application (in multiple of 25 buses) in order to operate buses on different routes. staff report

PA Lambasts City’s Transport System

Indeed very important point raised in the assembly .............. what this government is doing ......... where are those 8000 CNG buses .......... very pity on the transport department of this country who just never been interested in thinking about this important public welfare work ....
Why not Mr. Shahbaz Sharif again talk to the Daewoo company and make it run the same as it started 10 years back Today this company is more like a hooligan who is just running 70 buses which are not at all catering to the no of commuters........... ironic ........
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Transport Department accused of taking bribes, issuing ‘fitness certificates’ to vehicles in poor conditionStaff Report LAHORE: The members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) strongly criticised the existing transport system during the Punjab Assembly (PA) session on Wednesday, terming it too “pathetic and insufficient” to cater to the needs of the one million citizens of the provincial metropolis.During the question and answer hour, it was learnt that the existing public transport system in Lahore was fulfilling “needs” as assessed by a survey conducted back in 1991. However, the Transport Department said a new survey would be conducted for “transport planning” for the next 30 years by April 2010.The system for evaluating the condition of commercial vehicles – public transport vans and buses in particular – was strongly criticised by MPAs who alleged that there was no “transparent” system of assessing the condition of those public transport vehicles that are “an environmental hazard”.Answering a question raised by Opposition MPA Samina Khawar Hayat about the number of public-transport commuters and the vehicles available to cater to their needs, Minister for Transport Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said there were a total of 42 public-transport routes, out of which, 670 buses are running on 28 routes reserved for buses, while the rest are for vans. Route permit violators: Responding to another question about route permit violators, the minister said 250 to 300 vehicles are fined every month, 25 to 30 vehicles have been impounded while the route permits of 30 to 40 vehicles have been cancelled. To a question raised by MPA Rana Muhammad Afzal, asking whether the department had any mechanism to assess the condition of the vehicles, Rehman tried to convince the House that the public transport vehicles were “well kept”. But PA Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan said the House “was not blind” to the pathetic condition of the public transport vehicles operating in the city. The PA speaker directed the minister to look into the matter and take prompt action. Replying to another question about buses running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), the minister said 30 CNG buses were currently operating in Lahore on a “trial basis”, whereas the government was also taking steps to introduce buses that run on Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) due to the CNG shortage. Bribes: Meanwhile, Samina accused the Transport Department of taking bribes and issuing “fitness certificates” to vehicles that are in poor condition. MPAs strongly criticised public transport vehicles for being responsible for the rapidly increasing environmental pollution in the city. MPA Mian Naseer Ahmed alleged that buses, which are at least 35 years old, continue to operate on Ferozepur Road without any check.Environment-friendly rickshaws: However, the transport minister claimed that the government was taking steps to ban two-stroke rickshaws and has introduced four-stroke ones in efforts to reduce environmental pollution.

Punjab Government Response to Pervaiz Elahi claims

So there is a news that Punjab Govt is working on this project ....... Indeed hopes are there

CM for Free Buses for Poor Area Students

CHIEF Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that the government is paying special attention to the improvement of public transport system as it is also a barometer of the progress of a country. He has directed the Transport Department to consider plying of free busses for the boy and girl students of schools located in the poor localities.

He was speaking at a briefing given by Lahore Transport Company Chairman Tasnim Noorani regarding modern transport facilities for people at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Monday. The chief minister also ordered setting up of two special committees, headed by Planning and Development chairman and Finance secretary, to submit recommendations regarding provision of subsidy to the operators of the Lahore Transport Company, its business plan and other affairs. He directed the officials concerned to promote such a public transport culture in the province that senior officers and well-to-do persons might also benefit from it.

He said the Punjab government had evolved a comprehensive plan for the improvement of the transport system and subsidy was also being provided to operators for the purpose. Mr Shahbaz said operators, bringing new buses, should be encouraged and added that he had signed a memorandum of understanding regarding transport during his visit to Turkey. He said that such a route should be identified in Lahore where Istanbul model of transport could be replicated.