LAHORE, April 1: The Punjab government is extending the franchised urban transport service to other cities like Sialkot and Sargodha to provide low-cost and decent transport facility to the people.

This was announced by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi while presiding over a meeting of the provincial transport department on Tuesday.

He said the service would be extended to more cities because of its success in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala.

He said the transport department would be revamped to make it more effective. The government was paying special attention to the modernization of transport sector and would remove all hurdles in the way of private parties.

The chief minister said after Lahore and Rawalpindi separate bus service for girl students would also be launched in all major cities of the province.

He directed the transport secretary to ensure the plying of CNG fitted buses in the province so that pollution could be controlled and people given cheap transport facility.