LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday rejected the proposed Rs15 fare increase for the Metrobus and Speedo Bus services.
In this connection, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting of the Punjab Masstransit Authority, which was attended by Punjab Transport Minister Ibrahim Hassan Murad, Punjab finance secretary and officials from the Punjab Masstransit Authority. Highlighting the importance of innovative revenue-generation strategies, the CM stressed the need to explore alternative approaches instead of resorting to fare hikes.
On this occasion, an important decision was taken to initiate a pilot project for energy-efficient public transport. In collaboration with the World Bank, 27 electric buses are set to operate from Lahore Railway Station to Green Town. Moreover, plans were formulated to introduce electric buses for the Pakistan Metrobus System in Islamabad-Rawalpindi.
The CM issued directives for immediate action on the electric buses initiative and approved measures to address the shortage of human resources in the Punjab Masstransit Authority. The CM directed repairing and maintaining metro bus tracks in both cities. “The government remains committed to providing secure and high-quality transport services to the commuters,” he added.
The meeting sanctioned the renovation projects for Qaddafi Stadium and Shahdara Railway Station in the provincial metropolis. The proposal to operate diesel-hybrid regenerative buses was thoroughly discussed during the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023