Metro project: conflicting figures

E-Paper | June 13, 2026

BEFORE the start of the metro bus project in Lahore, it was reported that the mayor of Istanbul, on a visit to Lahore, had donated 100 (later, reported ‘refurbished’) articulated buses.

We were to buy our further requirements from Volvo’s plant in China.

Subsequent reports said that some of our personnel were sent to Turkey to work on the refurbishment work, which also involved converting them from right-hand to left-hand drive, and also to understand the engineering mechanism, as well as having hands-on experience of driving them.

However, recent reports say that out of a total of 45 buses that were to come, six, and now 20, have already reached Lahore and all are set for plying as soon as the dedicated track is ready.

Could an authorised official in the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency Tepa/LDA please clarify the apparently conflicting figures?

AMIR ALI Lahore

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hamid Shafiq

Jan 29, 2013 11:16am

45 buses reached and transport to Lahore. that are brand new chinese manufactured 150 passengers capacity buses. i check these vehciel when i saw offloading from the ship. i hope its better and can improve traffic problems in lahore.

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Md Imran

Jan 29, 2013 02:51pm

My uncle is the regional senior officer for TEPA, and i have been authorized to speak on TEPAs behalf. There was some miscommunication earlier. The total number of buses were 22 and not 100 as reported earlier. 4 have already reached us and are in service, we expect another 10 next year, and another 12 to follow over the course of next 5 years.

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farmerdr

Jan 29, 2013 02:54pm

Even our elected governments work in an opaque and secretive manner.

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mohammad iqbal

Jan 29, 2013 03:36pm

distributing lap tops from government funds and running metro buses are two different subjects. The story of metro buses is to just keep the innocent bhole lahorites at bay.

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AJ Kabul

Jan 30, 2013 02:16am

Sir, you're incorrect. contract to purchase the buses was held up at Chinese authority and so far no progress has been made.

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