Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced that the Metro Bus Service (MBS), a project that encountered quite a few snags and controversies, will be commissioned on February 10. He was, rightly, full of praise for the missionary zeal with which those involved in the project worked round the clock and completed it in as short a period as 11 months. The project includes an eight milometer long flyover that is being seen as a piece of architectural beauty. The bus service would be free of charge for the first month. The state-of-the-art MBS, in Chief Minister’s words, would be a milestone in the transport history of the country. There is little doubt that once in operation the MSB would constitute a landmark in the Punjab metropolis and the criticism against it would die down, as it happened with the motorway that has now become a favourite road with the motorists.
It is encouraging to learn that the Chief Minister is aware of the criticism about the bus fares and has pledged that he would see to it that it is within the reach of the common man. What remains to be done is an urgent up-gradation of side roads, which were dug during the MBS construction, for the convenience of the public. One is confident that the concerned staff has been trained to run the service properly.