China will invest in Lahore Mass Transit System

LAHORE – The Punjab Government and a Chinese company have entered into an agreement for the Rapid Mass Transit System in Lahore. “The Chinese company Noranko will invest $1.7billion for the execution of the RMTS,” said Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmed Hassan.

Taking to TheNation on Monday, Hassan assured that the first phase of the project, which would be 27 km long, starting from Shahdra and ending at Gajjumatta, would be completed by the end of the current fiscal year. He said another Chinese company, Fotan, would ply 200 new buses on the City’s urban routes. “Among them,” he added, “111 buses will be on roads by June this year.”

According to a statement, Khawja Ahmed Hassan was presiding over a meeting of the LTC’s Board of Directors at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Monday. Vice Chairman Mehr Ishtiaq, directors and other officials participated.

On the occasion, the LTC chairman constituted a committee headed by LTC vice-chairman Mehr Ishtiaq. The committee would formulate recommendations for the elimination of unlawful transport within the 15-day and maintenance of traffic discipline for the public service vehicles in the city.

Ahmed Hassan said that LTC would provide all possible assistance to private transport companies so these companies could be instrumental in the facilitating the public in the domain of urban transport. He said new bus terminals and depots would be set up in various parts of the city for implementing a transport action plan in an effective manner.
“The tour of Shahbaz Sharif to China has proved to be a major breakthrough in the domain of investment in the transport sector. There will be no compromise on the standard of new buses,” he added.