Metro bus in Rawalpindi soon: CM punjab

[KingMamba]

I would say successful. 150,000 people travelling per day and they increased the number of buses.

This article seems to say it is costing the government money overall though and running a loss.

Is Metro Bus a success story?
LAHORE - The Metro Bus Service, launched at a cost of Rs30 billion for a 27-kilometre route in the provincial metropolis, is causing a daily loss of Rs5 million, it has been learnt.
While a passenger pays Rs20 for one-way travel, the government has to pay a subsidy of Rs40. Informed sources say the service has eaten up more than Rs1.5 billion of public money since its inauguration in February 2013.
The performance and utility of Lahore Metro Bus Service has a direct bearing on the question that if this mega project should be replicated in Rawalpindi, as planned by the government.
The government is giving such a huge subsidy on a single route and that too at a time when it is planning to privatise more than two dozen key state enterprises which are running in loss, arguing that the resources being spent to keep them afloat could be used on other important public projects.
On the positive side of the things, the MBS daily facilitates almost 140,000 commuters from Gajju Matta to Shahdrah area during the 5-day week, as per officials of the Metro Bus Authority. There are around 50 routes in Lahore with many even without any public transport facility.
Millions of commuters travel in the City daily at Chingchi rickshaws, worn out vans and outdated buses and pay from Rs15 to Rs35 fare even at routes much smaller than that of metro bus. If a commuter travels on some other bus of van from Gajju Matta to Shahdrah, he/she will have to pay around Rs60.
As for the figures are concerned, the provincial government is generating Rs2.8 million in revenue from fare collection as compared with per day expenditure of around Rs8 million. Annual income from the metro bus track is around Rs912.5 million.
The Punjab government in budget 2013-14 had allocated Rs2 billion for Metro Bus subsidy after clear refusal of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to increase the fare. The government had outsourced the all operational, maintenance, security and other expenditures to around 12 companies after the start of the service.
Critics question spending so much money on travellers of a particular route at the expense of the rest of the population of province. And the same argument is presented against the launch of similar project in Rawalpindi.
A transport department official said the subsidy being paid at this one route was sufficient to purchase 500 busses and even Lahore desperately needs around 2,000 buses to meet the needs of the daily commuters as presently only around 300 buses are operating in the city under the umbrella of the Lahore Transport Company (LTC).
Severe shortage of public transport is also a problem in other big cities of Punjab like Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.
Metro bus Service was launched at a cost of Rs30 billion (although many say it’s understatement). In the service, 64 metro buses, with a capacity three times that of ordinary buses, run along 27km track. At the time of inauguration, a total of 45 buses had been imported from Turkey but the government added 19 buses in September last year. The buses stop at 27 stations that cover the entire route.
When the service was launched, it was claimed that even those with personal cars will prefer to avail this facility but one can see dozens of passengers standing at Ferozpur Road beneath the metro track who prefer to choose ordinary vans and mazdas to reach at their destination instead of the metro bus.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Buses are not the expensive part; the road/flyover/etc are far more expensive.

Buses would likely be ~20% of the total cost of the project.

Any why would you be arguing on this.

If you know as much about transportation, you are more than welcome to bring your company here and help us out.

Thank you

 

[KingMamba]

It only covers small part of Lahore and was way overpriced Project. I have not heard positive feedback from Lahore residents.

So it was mainly for political drama. Sharifs strike again lol.

 

[FaujHistorian]

This article seems to say it is costing the government money overall though and running a loss.

Is Metro Bus a success story?
LAHORE - The Metro Bus Service, launched at a cost of Rs30 billion for a 27-kilometre route in the provincial metropolis, is causing a daily loss of Rs5 million, it has been learnt.
While a passenger pays Rs20 for one-way travel, the government has to pay a subsidy of Rs40. Informed sources say the service has eaten up more than Rs1.5 billion of public money since its inauguration in February 2013.
The performance and utility of Lahore Metro Bus Service has a direct bearing on the question that if this mega project should be replicated in Rawalpindi, as planned by the government.
The government is giving such a huge subsidy on a single route and that too at a time when it is planning to privatise more than two dozen key state enterprises which are running in loss, arguing that the resources being spent to keep them afloat could be used on other important public projects.
On the positive side of the things, the MBS daily facilitates almost 140,000 commuters from Gajju Matta to Shahdrah area during the 5-day week, as per officials of the Metro Bus Authority. There are around 50 routes in Lahore with many even without any public transport facility.
Millions of commuters travel in the City daily at Chingchi rickshaws, worn out vans and outdated buses and pay from Rs15 to Rs35 fare even at routes much smaller than that of metro bus. If a commuter travels on some other bus of van from Gajju Matta to Shahdrah, he/she will have to pay around Rs60.
As for the figures are concerned, the provincial government is generating Rs2.8 million in revenue from fare collection as compared with per day expenditure of around Rs8 million. Annual income from the metro bus track is around Rs912.5 million.
The Punjab government in budget 2013-14 had allocated Rs2 billion for Metro Bus subsidy after clear refusal of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to increase the fare. The government had outsourced the all operational, maintenance, security and other expenditures to around 12 companies after the start of the service.
Critics question spending so much money on travellers of a particular route at the expense of the rest of the population of province. And the same argument is presented against the launch of similar project in Rawalpindi.
A transport department official said the subsidy being paid at this one route was sufficient to purchase 500 busses and even Lahore desperately needs around 2,000 buses to meet the needs of the daily commuters as presently only around 300 buses are operating in the city under the umbrella of the Lahore Transport Company (LTC).
Severe shortage of public transport is also a problem in other big cities of Punjab like Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.
Metro bus Service was launched at a cost of Rs30 billion (although many say it’s understatement). In the service, 64 metro buses, with a capacity three times that of ordinary buses, run along 27km track. At the time of inauguration, a total of 45 buses had been imported from Turkey but the government added 19 buses in September last year. The buses stop at 27 stations that cover the entire route.
When the service was launched, it was claimed that even those with personal cars will prefer to avail this facility but one can see dozens of passengers standing at Ferozpur Road beneath the metro track who prefer to choose ordinary vans and mazdas to reach at their destination instead of the metro bus.

Well then it will be raised to 40 rupees at some point and then to 80.

This is just an introductory price

 

[KingMamba]

Well then it will be raised to 40 rupees at some point and then to 80.

This is just an introductory price

Yeah but it depends on if the people are willing to such an amount especially if they are only going a short distance on that route.

 

[Edevelop]

This article seems to say it is costing the government money overall though and running a loss.

Is Metro Bus a success story?
LAHORE - The Metro Bus Service, launched at a cost of Rs30 billion for a 27-kilometre route in the provincial metropolis, is causing a daily loss of Rs5 million, it has been learnt.
While a passenger pays Rs20 for one-way travel, the government has to pay a subsidy of Rs40. Informed sources say the service has eaten up more than Rs1.5 billion of public money since its inauguration in February 2013.
The performance and utility of Lahore Metro Bus Service has a direct bearing on the question that if this mega project should be replicated in Rawalpindi, as planned by the government.
The government is giving such a huge subsidy on a single route and that too at a time when it is planning to privatise more than two dozen key state enterprises which are running in loss, arguing that the resources being spent to keep them afloat could be used on other important public projects.
On the positive side of the things, the MBS daily facilitates almost 140,000 commuters from Gajju Matta to Shahdrah area during the 5-day week, as per officials of the Metro Bus Authority. There are around 50 routes in Lahore with many even without any public transport facility.
Millions of commuters travel in the City daily at Chingchi rickshaws, worn out vans and outdated buses and pay from Rs15 to Rs35 fare even at routes much smaller than that of metro bus. If a commuter travels on some other bus of van from Gajju Matta to Shahdrah, he/she will have to pay around Rs60.
As for the figures are concerned, the provincial government is generating Rs2.8 million in revenue from fare collection as compared with per day expenditure of around Rs8 million. Annual income from the metro bus track is around Rs912.5 million.
The Punjab government in budget 2013-14 had allocated Rs2 billion for Metro Bus subsidy after clear refusal of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to increase the fare. The government had outsourced the all operational, maintenance, security and other expenditures to around 12 companies after the start of the service.
Critics question spending so much money on travellers of a particular route at the expense of the rest of the population of province. And the same argument is presented against the launch of similar project in Rawalpindi.
A transport department official said the subsidy being paid at this one route was sufficient to purchase 500 busses and even Lahore desperately needs around 2,000 buses to meet the needs of the daily commuters as presently only around 300 buses are operating in the city under the umbrella of the Lahore Transport Company (LTC).
Severe shortage of public transport is also a problem in other big cities of Punjab like Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.
Metro bus Service was launched at a cost of Rs30 billion (although many say it’s understatement). In the service, 64 metro buses, with a capacity three times that of ordinary buses, run along 27km track. At the time of inauguration, a total of 45 buses had been imported from Turkey but the government added 19 buses in September last year. The buses stop at 27 stations that cover the entire route.
When the service was launched, it was claimed that even those with personal cars will prefer to avail this facility but one can see dozens of passengers standing at Ferozpur Road beneath the metro track who prefer to choose ordinary vans and mazdas to reach at their destination instead of the metro bus.

Public transportation systems are always subsidized even in the developed world. For London's Tube System, half comes from Government and half comes from Revenues.
They are building an undersized BRT system in my greater Toronto area close to $1 billion. Lahore's project was like what 30 bilion rupees / $ 300 million ? Thats damn cheap if you ask me.

 

[FaujHistorian]

Yeah but it depends on if the people are willing to such an amount especially if they are only going a short distance on that route.

your post said they have to pay at least 60 if they were using some other service.

Correct?

 

[SHAMK9]

 

[jarves]

Congratulations to Pakistan.........

 

[Nothing]

Metro bus is short term planning. After reading comments from different posters, looks like this route is best for trams/railway or mono rail.
Not necessarily it should be costly metro. Over the surface 3-4 lines railway track can do miracles.
Investing in bus is even little short sighted. Any developing city/region need high capacity mass transit system like railway or metro trains.
Looks at examples of different mega cities and big twin cities. All of have high volume mass transit which is capable to move 1000s of people in short period of time.
I have seen multiple experience with Buses in Mumbai and in Seattle. Those are not very successful. There are multiple reasons for it (its needs few pages to write them in details). But at the end railway wins.

 

[Rashid Mahmood]

This is the best solution...

 

[Contrarian]

It only covers small part of Lahore and was way overpriced Project. I have not heard positive feedback from Lahore residents.

The thing with BRT systems is that Affluent residents - those who have Cars - always deem it useless and very expensive.

To get an accurate account of whether or not it is successful - go and ask the daily wagers and small time workers who use that route and the students.

If they say it has made their life simpler, then the system is successful, else not.
Same thing in Delhi as well. Those in cars say its horrible, those in the buses say its made things better.

 

[tarrar]

Pakistan does not need these things right now, National Security, Education & Economic development should be on the top. These kind of things are only good for their family business (corruption).

Agreed. Though GOVT will have to make sure they are safe from MOBS. Back in 2000 varan was very good until this van mafia MOBS burnt them down. They are low level thugs and believe me they will try to hit back on metro This route is just too much profitable and they won't like to walkaway from it.

& who are these Mafia? political terrorist or criminal wings.

 

[slapshot]

Pakistan does not need these things right now, National Security, Education & Economic development should be on the top. These kind of things are only good for their family business (corruption).


& who are these Mafia? political terrorist or criminal wings.

local van transporters. Anyone can buy few vans and put them on different routes within twin cities. They have some union I guess but overall its all up the wishes of van owner. They don't complete their routes, they don't pick the passengers on long routes. For example if you want to ride a van from starting point to end chances are they won't let you in If they are low on passengers they can unload you in the middle and will board you on some other van. They won't leave the stop until all seats are full which may take a lot of time, they misbehave with passengers if you ask them to leave. Van is stupid transport vehicle for local transportation there is just not enough space in it.

This is the best solution...

I think this is where it will finally lead too and buss service will convert to metro train. Not sure if this possible as of this point.

 

[SQ8]

The CAA objected that an elevated track for such a Metrobus will impair flight operations from BB International.
However, who cares if aircraft strike the elevated track some years down the line.