With the intention to enhance the public transport system in Lahore, Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Pervaiz Elahi has announced the launch of the Blue Line Bus Service for the provincial capital, according to news sources.
The bus service will start its service from Model Town while its final destination will be the Old Airport, passing through Garden Town, the Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine, and other parts.
The chief minister disclosed about this new initiative during the inauguration ceremony of Kalma Chowk Remodeling Project while stating that the bus service will help the provincial capital develop a sustainable transportation system and promote safe, affordable travel.
According to the plan, a French company, which has earlier surveyed the Blue Line, will also help in efficiently implementing this project.
Read more: Blue Line project planned from Model Town to Data Sahib Chowk in Lahore
The project will be built on a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) basis, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be funding at a 2% interest rate on infrastructure loans. Pervaiz Elahi, while addressing the occasion, also announced the division of Lahore into three distinct districts to improve service delivery.
It is to be mentioned that Lahore is Pakistan’s second-most important city, which has an increasing demand for economical and sustainable urban transportation solutions.
Currently, the metropolis has three main mass transit projects: Metro Bus, the Orange Metro Line, and the Red Line bus service. But, with the growing city’s population, more resources are necessary to service it.
In another development, Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA) Executive Director Commercial Muhammad Omer has stated that the authority is looking forward to raising the required capital for the development projects from the barren lands of the province.
To that end, the authority is working on a business model to commercialize the government of Punjab’s underutilized and unfarmable land in order to generate funds for the current development project, he added.
