Multan - In order to connect metro route with different areas of Multan, the government is going to run 100 feeder buses from August 14 which will carry citizens to metro stations from distant parts of the city.
Multan Division Commissioner Bilal Ahmad Butt declared the buses would operate on 11 routes in two shifts. “This initiative will not only offer cheaper yet high quality transport service to the masses but also accomplish the metro project in true sense,” he added. The commissioner revealed that a proposal to run feeder buses for free on August 13 and 14 is also under consideration.
Giving further details, he said that the routes have been fixed after a thorough survey to analyse travelling trends of the citizens. He declared that special franchises would be set up in city to sell bus cards to the citizens as the commuters would be issued special cards. He said that special stands and chairs have been fixed for special persons in these busses, adding that the feeder busses would help improve transport system in the city.
The Chief Operation Manager of the metro project Abdul Rehman disclosed on this occasion that the routes of the feeder busses had been finalised and the training of 243 drivers as well as other staff had also ended. He further revealed that the metro busses would operate among Dera Adda and Chowk Kumharanwala, Fish Market to Sooraj Miani via Ghanta Ghar, Ghanta Ghar to Fertiliser Factory Chowk, Vehari Chowk to Nag Shah, Canal Bridge to Piran Ghaib, Khooni Burj to Vehari Chowk via Chungi No 14, Dunyapur bypass to People’s Colony, Mohalla Wazeerabad to Southern Bypass via BCG Chowk, Railway Station to Chungi No-9 via LMQ Road, Faiz-e-Aam Chowk to Ghanta Ghar and BCG Chowk to Vehari Road up to Railway Station.
The initiative is being seen as an attempt to bring commuters to metro stations as major part of 18.5 km long metro route gives deserted look due to very thin turnout of the citizens. The project cost national kitty about Rs30 billion, but very low turnout of travellers has caused severe criticism on government.