Economically unviable: Metro Bus - a white elephant painted red!

[Muhammad Omar]

from where you get $11m/km it is $20m /km .............a fukking white fat elephent



which is 450 m ...........450/22.5 = $20m /km

here we are making metro train as low as 28 m/km

compare it with Indian BRT

Islamabad section

Underground and at grade stations

 

[Bang Galore]

There is little doubt this is one of the more impressive BRT systems. The critics are rushing to judgment, a few years will have to pass before one can pass judgment on this project. Nor is the initial costing important, it helps in familiarising the public with the concept, the fact that "non-regular" travelers are using it is actually good rather than bad as the author suggests. Pricing can slowly be rationalised once the concept itself has met with acceptance.

My guess is that in 5 years, this will be a success and will be held up as such.

 

[Winchester]

My issue apart from the priorities of the government is the route of the metro....
It doesn't cover ISB highway and that is where a significant portion of traffic comes to Islamabad.
Plus one more thing they could do is have safe car/bike parking spaces near some of the stops !

 

[RAMPAGE]

There is little doubt this is one of the more impressive BRT systems. The critics are rushing to judgment, a few years will have to pass before one can pass judgment on this project. Nor is the initial costing important, it helps in familiarising the public with the concept, the fact that "non-regular" travelers using it is actually good rather than bad as the author suggests. Pricing can slowly be rationalised once the concept itself has met with acceptance.

My guess is that in 5 years, this will be a success and will be held up as such.

Damn right.

You know what the alternative is/was?

A seat for 3, seats 5. The conditions are inhumane and it would cost you 50 PKR or more. This BTR offers air conditioning, exclusive track and dignified transport to the public at less than half price.

We need to gradually increase the rates ending this 50% subsidy.

 

[Bang Galore]

Damn right.

You know what the alternative is/was?

A seat for 3, seats 5. The conditions are inhumane and it would cost you 50 PKR or more. This BTR offers air conditioning, exclusive track and dignified transport to the public at less than half price.

We need to gradually increase the rates ending this 50% subsidy.

I have never understood the carping that goes on about this project. I'm guessing that it will be fair to bet that the lines are drawn based on political preferences. If Imran Khan (or someone else) had come up with this project, I think that those opposing would have been supporting & those supporting would have been the ones doing the opposing.....

As an outside observer, I think there is plenty to be proud of for many Pakistanis here & one must think of expanding it. The recovering of cost argument must be understood in the context that no mass transit system can really recover costs like other private projects. This is social spending & must be factored in as such. The best one can hope is to recover the running costs and make a small profit over that.

 

[Peaceful Civilian]

Damn right.

You know what the alternative is/was?

The conditions are inhumane and it would cost you 50 PKR or more.

No mate, 50 pkr is wrong figure. Van Fare is 35 Rs from saddar till sectariat Islamabad.
15 Rs fare from stop to stop and increases after 4km, for 20 Rs, then 25Rs till 35 rupee for last stop.

 

[Manindra]

Why is it not cost effective?

As per published figures, the infrastructure costs in US$ per kilometer (all costs escalated to 2014) for BRT for various cities are:

• India $3 million/km
• Dalian, China $4.5m/km
• Guangzhou, China $6.5m/km
• Istanbul, Turkey $10m/km
• Bogota, Columbia (new phase) $13.3m/km
• Lima, Peru $10m/km
• Los Angeles, USA $ 14.4m/km

Given lower labour costs in Pakistan and averaging the above figures, a fair estimate for infrastructure costs should have been approximately $5-7m/km at the most. But at $11m/km, (almost 4 times the cost compared to India!) of the Lahore Metrobus cost wise, it is substantially higher than the benchmark. Why that is so is the moot question.

Breaking even is therefore going to be a nightmare. The govt of Pakistan will need to keep subsidizing the operation to keep it affordable, with considerable loss to the exchequer.

Because

• India produce their own heavy construction machinery.
• India produce their own Bus.
• Whole project design & financed by India.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

The Metro project is positive in its intention , a small improvement but its targeting Heavily populated cities

Lahore / Pindi ......

So more effort is needed in other cities

While not 100% perfect at least we know some money was spent to effect live of general public
as minimum % of budget it was

 

[Azizam]

I have never understood the carping that goes on about this project. I'm guessing that it will be fair to bet that the lines are drawn based on political preferences. If Imran Khan (or someone else) had come up with this project, I think that those opposing would have been supporting & those supporting would have been the ones doing the opposing.....

Biggest curse in South Asia.

 

[[Bregs]]

Projects like these are good signs of development for public transport, so criticism must be constructive only

 

[RAMPAGE]

No mate, 50 pkr is wrong figure. Van Fare is 35 Rs from saddar till sectariat Islamabad.
15 Rs fare from stop to stop and increases after 4km, for 20 Rs, 25Rs till 35 rupee.

Hmmm, still worth it. I'll gladly pay the extra 5 PKR. Per ticket cost for metro should be around 40 PKR without recovery.


So you are regular traveler? What are your veiws on this service? How would you improve it?

My issue apart from the priorities of the government is the route of the metro....
It doesn't cover ISB highway and that is where a significant portion of traffic comes to Islamabad.
Plus one more thing they could do is have safe car/bike parking spaces near some of the stops !

Should be financed by Bahria town.

 

[Georgeclark]

compare it with Indian BRT

Islamabad section

Underground and at grade stations

India doesn't want BRT System anymore, as it is already running and Making Metros mostly in every major city as of now. Which is much more economical and can carry much load and is faster. Also the Bus services are already so expanded it doesn't need a dedicated system. If you see delhi they already have a well running system of Green and Red buses, also now they started tourism buses HOP ON and HOP OFF. If you want we can compare the Indian Metro stations here btw this is Ahemdabad BRT

 

[Arsalan]

It was a blunder from the get go! A case of seriously out of position priorities, from nations perspective at least, from Gov perspective perhaps it is a priority in the political game.

 

[RAMPAGE]

It was a blunder for the get go! A case of seriously out of position priorities, from nations perspective at least, from Gov perspective perhaps it is a priority in the political game.

Tell me you are not a Tabdeeli Razakar!

 

[Georgeclark]

As designers point of view, Elevated BRT was a waste of Money, also the High end stations which are just bus Stands to be precise were not needed to be made out of Granite, as they will handle hardly 1000 people a day (Per station) Instead BRT should be on the ground and the roads should have been elevated, which creates much more space for 4 Wheelers, and make the footpaths more viable

If Pakistan could make Elevated BRT's it could have made Metros too, which are more reliable, economical, cater more people too. @Muhammad Omar It wouldn't be so viable to make such High end station which won't cater more than 2000-3000 People, instead you should compare Indian metro stations if you want to