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.

Public Transport: Chinese Company Launches New CNG Bus Service

LAHORE:The Foton Bus Company (FBC) finally launched operations in Lahore on Tuesday, introducing a fleet of 56 new imported CNG buses on three routes.

Now this has to be seen that how long this company manages to run these modern buses

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Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif rode on the bus from his residence to the secretariat after the inaugural ceremony in Model Town, which he attended along with Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan and FBC vice president Zong Chris Jones.

Foton was supposed to start services at the end of June with a fleet of 111 buses, but was delayed after the federal government imposed a new sales tax on imports. LTC officials said that another 55 Foton buses would hit the roads before the end of the year.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the chief minister said that transport was critical for the country’s development. Apart from theFoton Bus Company, he said that the government had signed an agreement with a local company for the provision of 200 quality buses. He said that the Punjab government had decided to bring 700 new buses to the cities of Punjab.

He said that a Chinese company’s investment in the transport sector in the province despite the problem of terrorism showed how much China trusted the Punjab government.

Hassaan said that commuters would “feel the difference” in terms of comfort when they ride the new Foton buses. He later told The Express Tribune that they were negotiating with the federal government for a gas deal so that the buses could run on the weekly CNG holidays.

He said that there was no need to clamp down on alternative means of transport like unlicensed rickshaws and vans on the FBC’s routes, as people would immediately stop using them. “We strongly believe that citizens want to travel in affordable and quality buses. These other forms of transport became popular because they were cheap and the buses were always overcrowded and in poor condition,” he said.

FBC vice president Zong Chris Jones said at the inauguration ceremony that the company was planning to expand its operations in Lahore. He said that the Punjab government had facilitated the company in all matters and this would strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

Foton will run buses on route B-9, which starts at the City Railway Station and ends at Kahna via Lakshmi Chowk, Hall Road, Ganga Ram Hospital, Mozang, Ichhra, the Canal, Kalma Chowk, Model Town and Chungi Amar Sadhu; on B-20-B, which starts at Green Town and goes to Bagrian Chowk, Akbar Chowk, New Campus, Yateem Khana Chowk, Chauburji, Data Darbar, Azadi Chowk and end at Niazi Chowk; and route B-33-B, which starts at Hamdard Chowk and goes to Barkat Chowk, Akbar Chowk, Jinnah Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Wahdat Road, Muslim Town, Shadman, Lawrence Road, Egerton Road and the City Railway Station.

Date announced by LTC for start of Bus Service

November 15th is the day when the Bus Service is going to be inaugurated .......... Finally

Public transport: Route No 1 could go to Chinese bus service

Seems LTC is doing something ........ as now its November but no buses on the road.

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The Lahore Transport Company is considering offering the most lucrative bus route in the city to a Chinese company about to start operations here even though a local company is currently running buses on the route.

Route No 1 runs from RA Bazaar to Sanda near Bund Road and is run by the First Bus Service. Thousands of commuters use it daily to get to government buildings and private offices as well as schools, colleges and universities on The Mall. The route is also kept clear of motorcycle and two-stroke rickshaws, which are often accused by bus companies of stealing their customers.

An LTC official told The Express Tribune that the management would probably award the route to the Foton Bus Company (FTC), which is to start operations in Lahore this month. He said that the LTC had engaged in lengthy negotiations with the Chinese company, in which Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and LTC chief Khawaja Hassaan had also been involved.

“An international company will always want the main routes and that was the case here too,” he said. “There is no comparison between the Chinese and local company … the government will always give preference to the Chinese company.”

LTC spokesman Amjad Hussain said no final decision on the issue had been made yet. He said that the LTC would facilitate all bus companies. He said a lack of buses meant that many commuters were forced to arrange their own transport. “Once quality bus services start their operations, the number of public transport users will definitely increase,” he added.

The First Bus Service won Route No 1 a year ago after the LTC took it away from New Khan Bus Service, which had operated there for over a decade, because it could not run the required number of buses on the route or keep its vehicles road worthy. The FBS is also currently operating just 15 buses on the route, when it is supposed to run at least 32. However, it has imported 20 buses from China which are currently at Karachi port and are to arrive in Lahore next week.

FBS Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Dastgeer said that the government would not be easily able to give the route to Foton since they had a signed agreement with the LTC in this regard. He said he had not heard of plans to award the route to the Chinese company.

FBS General Manager Maqsoodul Haq said he had not heard the plan either, but the FBS would oppose it. He said that the LTC had started a Coaster service on the route a few months ago that had hurt their business. “We have yet to receive the subsidy for buses operated on this route since January this year. We are owed a total of Rs13.8 million in subsidies on Route No 1,” he added.

Lahore Mass Transit: No News No Update

August 14th, 2011 was the date for the inauguration of this project and now Sep 14th, October 14th, and November 14th is near but till yet no news. I just want to convey a message to CM Shahbaz Sharif, give us the LRMTS and we will give you the vote.

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