ZAHID BAIG

LAHORE: Punjab Speed Feeder Bus Service, launched by the Punjab government, recently to link different areas of the provincial metropolis with Metro Bus route though being appreciated for its beauty and comfort, has created numerous hardships for the commuters because of its complicated and baffling fare collection system.

As the red shinny bus arrives at any bus stop, the commuters rush towards it. However, as they try to enter it, the fare collector or an official traveling in the bus stops them saying that they had to buy Rs 200 Metro Bus Card which has initial balance of Rs 70 while Rs 130 is the price of card. “Sir if you don’t buy a card, you cannot ride this bus, I am sorry,” the fare collector tells the commuter in a polite tone.

The Punjab government has withdrawn the buses which were being plied on 14 routes under the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) banner and has introduced these new buses. So, commuters have no other choice but to ride these buses even if they have to go just two to three miles. They have to buy the Metro Bus Card without which they cannot travel.

“This is a good service. We can find the buses after every 10 minutes but the government should have introduced a mix ticketing system. Those who wanted to ride the bus once in a week or month they should be issued tickets by the fare collector and those who are using the service daily can be issued a weekly or monthly pass/card,” said a commuter, Hassan Rizvi, while talking to Business Recorder here on Friday.

In the first phase, 200 air-conditioned buses would link 14 routes with Metro Bus Service. According to initial estimates, about one hundred and twenty thousand people would benefit from the project. An important aspect of the project is that these buses would have integrated e-ticketing system for both Lahore Metro Bus Service and Feeder Bus Service.

Though the government had boasted that now the poorer segments of the society would get an opportunity to travel in air-conditioned buses and enjoy comfortable and hassle-free journey. But the issue is the complex fare system. If anyone wanted to ride the bus with his family, he/she has to buy cards for all the family members. A family of five persons has to pay Rs 1,000 at once as the card cannot be scanned for more than one person. But the issue is that all the family members do not travel together daily or even once in fortnight. It is better that we should pay Rs 200-300 to a rickshaw for such a ride, said another person, Rizwan Ahmad.

A commuter, Wajid Naeem, said he wanted to ride the bus just for a day as his motorbike was out of order but it was not affordable for him to pay Rs 200 for just for single ride. Though it will only cost Rs 15 but the balance amount will remain stuck, he added. The system is also not feasible for those who come to Lahore from other cities.

They don’t have to ride Metro but they are forced to use these metro feeder buses. “We don’t have the time to go to Metro Bus stop and get it refunded,” said Shafiq Qureshi, who visited Lahore from Muzaffargarh.