New bus service to be introduced in Lahore

[Edevelop]

The Punjab government has decided to introduce state-of-the-art bus service on the pattern of open bus service of London and Barcelona in Lahore City in the last quarter of this year, while the facility of tourist guide will also be available in this bus service.

"The Mughal monuments like Shahi Qila and Badshahi Masjid will be converted into living monuments through various innovative steps like Chobdaars standing in the historic costumes and the real princes and princesses conducting the Shahi Court in a mock fashion," the Minister for Tourism Punjab Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, said. Rana said the Punjab government has also decided to convene "Basant Bahar Kite Flying Competitions" at Changa Manga forest in the coming season of Basant ie, end of March 2014. However, the prohibition on kite flying in Lahore and other urban areas of the province will be strictly followed and implemented, he added. He said that kites and string made of harmless yarn material will be provided by the TDCP to the kite flyers and the tourists with the financial assistance by various corporate entities.

While chairing a high-level meeting here at Punjab Tourism Complex on Thursday, the minister said the Punjab government has also decided to revive "Heer Recitation" competition in Jandiala Sher Khan, the birth place of Legendry poet of Punjab on the occasion of the coming Urs of Pir Waris Shah. Managing Director Tourism Development Corporation Punjab (TDCP) Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani apprised the participants of the meeting of the changes incorporated in the syllabi of primary and elementary level which would help familiarise the new generation with the worth seeing places of Pakistan particularly that of the province of Punjab in a novel manner.

Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said that every nook and corner of Pakistan is worth seeing provided we glorify it in a way that the foreign tourists would come to see our civilisation which is no doubt our pride. This would also help improve the soft image of Pakistan world over, he added. He said the overwhelming majority of Pakistani people are peace loving and a little minority of extremists have distorted our image as terrorists. He said the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management being run by TDCP in Lahore has been strengthened by professional management and a training course of tourism guides is also being introduced in the institute.

New bus service to be introduced in Lahore | Business Recorder

 

[Edevelop]

By 'Open Bus' they mean something like this:

 

[arushbhai]

When they introduce these open top buses, than the next days news will be "Patang ki dor say 1 tourist ki gardan cut gai jo open top bus main safar kar raha tha". I dont think this luxury is needed. How about we provided a proper public transport system to cities like sargodha, multan, faisalabad and sialkot

 

[farhan_9909]

Good development

Cant they just improve the road between abbottabad and hasanabdal?

 

[Edevelop]

When they introduce these open top buses, than the next days news will be "Patang ki dor say 1 tourist ki gardan cut gai jo open top bus main safar kar raha tha". I dont think this luxury is needed. How about we provided a proper public transport system to cities like sargodha, multan, faisalabad and sialkot

Public transport: Govt to order studies on new Metro Bus projects

The Punjab Metro Bus Authority (PMBA) is to invite bids from consultants soon to conduct feasibility studies for potential bus-only routes in the twin cities of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Once the feasibility studies are done, the authority will decide where to launch the next Metro Bus modelled on the new service launched in Lahore this year. The PMBA is currently preparing request for proposals, which will later be advertised to invite expressions of interest in the consultancy work for the three projects.

The consultants will have to identify four important routes in each city (based on passenger numbers) and state which would benefit the most passengers. They will also estimate construction costs. Terms of references (TORs) for the request for proposal are still being established, said officials in the PMBA. They said that the studies would have to start from scratch, as no previous studies had been done in these cities.

Last May, the PMBA received a feasibility report from Ulasium for a potential 12.6-km Metro Bus route in Lahore from Thokar Niaz Beg to MAO College on Multan Road. A route from Azadi Chowk to the Ring Road via the City Railway Station and Daroghawala along GT Road has also been proposed. However, the authority officials said that expansion of the Metro Bus Service in Lahore “for now appears to be a low priority for the provincial government”.

They said that the decision on which city would get the next Metro Bus service would be made on the basis of the passenger numbers reported in the feasibility studies, but it would most likely be in Islamabad-Rawalipindi.

The authority officials said that a consultant selection committee would be set up to decide the criteria for the bidding firms. After prequalification, the lowest bidder would take on the consulting work. Each study could go to separate consultants or to one. After the feasibility study, a PC-2 report would be made for the next budget.

New buses

Nineteen buses ordered by the PMBA in June, a month after the inauguration of the 27-km Metro Bus route in Lahore, are yet to arrive in the country. Officials said that the buses were currently at a Chinese port, ready to be shipped. They said that the authority had arranged for a vessel and they would arrive “soon”, though not this month.

The buses had been expected at the end of June, then in July. The PMBA currently operates a fleet of 45 articulated buses in Lahore.

PMBA Managing Director Sibtain Fazle Haleem was not available for comment.

Public transport: Govt to order studies on new Metro Bus projects – The Express Tribune

Kites are still banned in Lahore. They are considering to open it only to Changa Manga forest

 

[mourning sage]

another bus service? what does he want? invest money where it should be. why cant a barrage or a dam be built to reserve more water for agriculture and domestic use? i mean come on!!

 

[Chak Bamu]

Clearly this development is aimed at facilitating tourism, like in other countries of the world. Most countries who possess ancient heritage do facilitate tourists and give them as close to an authentic experience as possible.

I do not see how can anyone have a problem with something that is aimed at facilitating tourism and improve our image? It is not a budget devouring project. Come on PTI trolls if you can not appreciate a positive effort, must you mislead others? Would you want others to do to PTI efforts what you do to PML-N?

 

[Rank]

ub Paris may new buses b chaleengi good good!

 

[karan21]

Utter BS. Come back when Lahore is getting a metro transit system. This is not impressive and not required at all.

 

[arushbhai]

Actually introducing this new bus service for tourists makes sense considering the fact that punjab govt has spend millions of dollars on renovating old walled city of lahore, shahi qila and bringing in new waste management system to keep the old city clean. Looks like Punjab govt is serious about attracting tourists. And when we say tourists, we arent just talking about foreigners, we are also talking about people coming in from different cities or school field trips. They can make good money. So Good luck to Punjab govt for taking such a unique initiative and I hope it becomes a success

 

[Imran Khan]

they will throw anything from open roof to walking public mark my words

 

[Luftwaffe]

Oh fruck another 80B Rupees going down 27km.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Oh fruck another 80B Rupees going down 27km.

no hail his Highness showbaz the little

 

[Leader]

Chobdaars standing in the historic costumes and the real princes and princesses conducting the Shahi Court in a mock fashion,"

this is good, one day we will all hail to sharif family as our royal family !!

 

[Imran Khan]

better then transfer money to UK man