11 July 2004	Sunday	22 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

LAHORE, July 10: Franchised transport companies operating their buses in the city have not provided any facility to the passengers during the past seven years and are making profit only on their inconvenience.

The government has been giving subsidy on mark-up of loans procured by the franchised transport operators besides providing free space for bus terminals to some and giving them monopoly on routes but they have failed to offer any facility to commuters.

Most of the companies have not even identified the bus stops by displaying the stop signs. Service duration, bus frequency and route alignments have not been notified on the stops either despite repeated reminders of District Regional Transport Authority chairman, DCO Khalid Sultan.

Shelters necessary for protecting the passengers from the vagaries of the weather are the most important facility which all the franchized companies have failed to provide.

All the shelters existing on Ravi Road, Lower Mall, Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam, Ferozepur Road, Queens Road, Allama Iqbal Road, Khayaban-i-Punjab University, Jail Road and Multan Road have been sponsored by the advertisement companies.

Shelters in Defence and Model Town have been built by the housing societies concerned. The franchized transport operators are waiting for the construction of the shelters at the remaining stops by the advertising companies instead of coming forward to provide the basic facility to the passengers.