The Lahore Bus Rapid Transit or Lahore Metrobus is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The first section, which consists of a 27-kilometres long route and 29 bus stations between Gajumata to Shahadra was opened by Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in February 2013. The route covers dozens of residential and commercial localities
along the city’s main artery — Ferozepur road, linking together Lytton
road, Jain Mandar, MAO College, Lower Mall, Civil Secretariat,
Aiwan-i-Adal, Chowk Katchehry (District Courts), Shrine of Hazrat Data
Ganj Bakhsh, Ravi Road, and Shahdra town.[5] The other routes are over mountain passes. An 8-kilometer section of the route is elevated. The system uses e-ticketing and Intelligent Transportation System
wand. The system is managed by the Punjab Metrobus Authority (PMBA)
with the IT part is being carried out in coordination with Punjab IT
Board. History
Lahore Transport Company was established in 1984 to ease the traffic conditions of Lahore
and improve bus services. LTC got all the transport responsibilities of
traveling in Lahore in December 2009. A BRTS fleet of 650 Buses was
introduced. It was given name " TransLahore".
However, the BRTS did not have dedicated lanes and had to share roads
with regular traffic with no right of way privileges. This resulted in a
system that was a BRTS only in name.
Planning
After 20 years of discussion, the ambitious and expensive Lahore Metro, which had first been proposed in 1991 was abandoned in favour of a bus transit system, inspired by the successful Istanbul Metrobus system. Plans were developed in the last quarter of 2011 by both local and Turkish experts.
Construction
Construction of the project was divided into different packages and
was awarded to different contractors. M/s Zahir Khan & Brothers in
Joint venture with M/s Reliable Engineering Services (Pvt.) Limited
constructed the major part of the Flyover including two elevated
rotaries for BRTS.Habib Construction Services construct the down ramp to taxali gate of flyover.[6]
Construction project started in March 2012 and buses entered service in
February 2013. The system, which was constructed by the Traffic
Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA), a subsidiary of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) at a cost Rs 29.8 billion.[7] The system was built on the build–operate–transfer basis via the collaboration between the Punjab and the Turkish government.
The system was inaugurated by Punjab, Chief Minister, Mian Shahbaz Sharif on February 11, 2013, in a ceremony attended by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ, Prime Minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, as well as ambassadors from a number of other countries. The Mayor of Istanbul, Kadir Topbaş, also announced a gift of 100 buses.[8] It is Pakistan's first bus rapid transit system.
Operation
Lahore MBS currently operates a fleet of 45 buses. A further 19 buses have been imported from China by late 2013.[4] The buses run on a single 28.7 km long Ferozepur Road corridor with two other corridors being planned. Buses on the current route have an average speed of 26 km/h.[9]Following the initiation ceremony, use of the system was to be free
during the first month. However, following a week of chaos and
overcrowding, a fare of Rs. 20 (US$ 0.2) was imposed irrespective of the
destination.[10]According to the Lahore Transport Company, the daily ridership of the Metrobus exceeds 180,000[11] with the peak hourly ridership being 10,000 passengers per hour per direction (p/h/d). Studies conducted by the transport company claim that this figure will increase by 222% to 20,000 p/h/d in 2021.[9]
Expansion
During May 2013, the Punjab government received the feasibility study
for the Multan Road line of the system. The study was conducted by the
Turkey-based, İstanbul Ulaşım (Istanbul Transport), which also operates
the Istanbul Metro.
However, according to Punjab Metrobus Authority officials. the
expansion of the Metrobus services in Lahore seem to be a low priority
for the Punjab government, which is more inclined towards launching
similar systems in the rest of the province.[4]
The Multan Road line would run along the route from Thokar Niaz Beg to MAO College and will have a predicted, peak hourly ridership of 7,300 p/h/d which will increase to 15,100 p/h/d in 2021.[9]Meanwhile another route, along the Grand Trunk Road, is also proposed for the Lahore Metrobus System. This line will begin at Azadi Chowk and end at the Lahore Ring Road, passing through the Lahore Railway Station and Daroghwala.[4]
Design
The Lahore Metrobus meets the criteria laid out by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
It has barrier-controlled, automated off-board fare collection, a
service interval of less than 2 minutes during peak hours, stations with
well-designed signage and information systems and a precision bus
docking system (See: Guided Bus). The terminal approach system has escalators
and underground, subway-styled approach tubes. Due to these approach
tubes, prospective passengers don't have to cross high-speed roads to
get to the stations, but go below them instead, an example of a
segregated Right-of-way.[12] The stations have parking spaces for motorbikes and cycles while the two terminals provide car-parking facilities as well.[13]
Ticketing System
Two types of ticketing systems exist at the Metrobus terminals:
- Single-ride tokens that are good for one journey only and can be purchased for Rs. 20 (US$ 0.20) at the on-site ticket booth or the self-service Ticket Vending Machines (TVM).
- Metrobus Cards that can be utilized for multiple journeys. These RFID-based cards are credit-card sized and can be obtained from the ticket-office for a refundable amount of Rs. 130 (US$ 1.33). These cards can be recharged to a maximum balance of Rs. 1000 (US$ 10) at the TVMs. The Metrobus cards remove the hassle of standing in a queue for a token and card-holders can proceed directly to the terminal.[14]
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