LAHORE: A new contractor of Metro Bus Service on Wednesday took over the charge and started training of drivers.

The drivers earlier working with the Metro Bus Service also ended their wheel-jam strike and decided to take legal action against the old contractor Al-Bayrak. The drivers of the bus service had been protesting against the old contractor for two weeks over non-payment of arrears, bonus, not issuing them experience certificates and gratuity.

Owing to the suspension of the service (between Shahdara and Gajjumata), thousands of people had to use costly transport to reach their destinations.

The metro bus service had been launched in the city in February, 2013, a couple of months before the general election. The project, first of its kind in Pakistan, is said to be facilitating 150,000 passengers’ travel daily within the metropolitan city. The operation of the metro bus had been entrusted to M/s Platform Turizm – a subsidiary of a group of companies (Al-Bayrak) in 2013 for a period of seven years, ending last year. However, the company continued to function on extensions granted by the government after expiry of the contract. The ongoing extension period reportedly ended on Aug 31.

As the contract of the Al-Bayrak company ended, new company Veda Transit took over the charge of the service on Sept 1.

Punjab Mass Transit Authority General Manager Operations Uzair Shah told Dawn that the new contractor had taken over the charge of the metro bus service and started the training of the drivers. He said they were expecting that the bus service would resume for the public on Sept 8 and it would be the decision of the new company whether to work with the previous drivers or not.

Meanwhile, the drivers decided to approach court against the Al-Bayrak company for non-payment of arrears and bonus but the Mass Transit Authority had told the drivers that if the company would not give them pay and other dues they could seize Rs300 million surety of the company.

The drivers told the media that they would resume the service if the new contractor would contact them.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2021