GUJRAT: The Punjab government has decided to conduct a survey to launch intra-city public transport service in Gujranwala as the Transport Department and Urban Unit have been assigned the task of formulating recommendations in this regard.

The people of Gujrat and Sialkot may also be provided this public transport system. A transport card scheme will soon be launched in the province.

This was stated Punjab Transport Department Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi while talking to the participants of a meeting at the Commissioner Office on Thursday.

Gujranwala Commissioner Naveed Haider Sheerazi, DCs of Gujrat and Sialkot and other senior officials were also among participants of meeting.

Mr Qazi said that the Punjab government had already made a comprehensive plan to convert the transport services into an echo-friendly system for which at least 1,000 electric buses would be plying in different cities of the province.

For instance, he said, the Punjab government would purchase a fleet of at least 500 electric buses whereas 500 such buses would also be purchased with the help of World Bank.

Gujranwala city would be given the buses from the WB fleet.

The commissioner said that due to the establishment of new housing schemes around the Gujranwala city in the last one decade, the city needed a comprehensive public transport system for which a survey was required before launching the new transport system.

Moreover, he said that the work on making the city’s 14 kilometres long GT Road stretch from Pindi Bypass to Chan Da Qila Chowk a signal free corridor, had also been initiated whereas a flyover at Chan Da Qila would also be built to ease traffic flow.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2024