LAHORE, Aug 8: The Lahore Airport has been declared a prohibited area for public transport since 1980’s leaving visitors and passengers at the mercy of rickshaw and taxi drivers.
Punjab Road Transport Corporation buses used to ply between the Lahore Airport and different parts of the cantonment and the city till 1980’s when PRTC services began to close and gradually wound up in the 1990’s. The wagons plying between the city and the R.A.Bazaar were also available at the airport gate.
The wagons were first asked to turn from the last crossing on Abid Majid Road near the Lahore Airport Gate and then the second last situated at a distance of about one kilometre from the gate to establish the rickshaw-taxi monopoly at the airport on the pretext of anti-terrorist measures after the PRTC wound up its operations in the 1990’s.
The franchised bus services started operating in the provincial metropolis in the late 1990’s.
The airconditioned buses are most suitable for travel between the airport and the city and the cantonment but no effort has so far been made to run even a franchised bus service for the convenience of the airlines passengers and the visitors to the airport so far.
Buses and wagons plying between various parts of the city and the R.A.Bazaar are diverted from the Abid Majid Road-Sarfraz Rafiqui Road crossing at a distance of one kilometre from the airport gate. Those desirous of travelling to or from the airport to any part of the city or the cantonment are thus left with no choice but to walk for one kilometre. Those carrying any luggage are left with no choice but hiring a rickshaw or a taxi for travel.
The Lahore Airport administration has displayed a list of taxi fares for travel to different parts of the city. The minimum fare of Rs100 has been prescribed for travel to Gulberg and Cantonment. The fare for travel to the Lahore Rilway Station has been fixed at Rs125 and Badami Bagh General Bus Stand, Baghbanpura, Model Town and Krishan Nagar at Rs150.
People can travel from the airport to Lahore Township, Chungi Amar Sidhu, Shad Bagh and Chowk Yateem Khana on payment of Rs200. A fare of Rs250 has been proposed for travel to Green Town, Awan Town and Shahdara.
The maximum fare of Rs300 has been prescribed for travel to Imamia Colony, Multan Road Chungi and Thokar Niaz Beg. No fares have been fixed for travelling by rickshaw. The drivers and passengers negotiate the fares.
Names of passengers and taxi drivers and taxi and rickshaw numbers are recorded at the airport along with their destination at the time of departure from the airport for security purposes.