Operational Methodology and Plans

LTC has taken over the infrastructure and regulation responsibilities from the DRTA Lahore office on 1st December 2009.  LTC operations wing has identified various inefficiencies in the existing routes and their alignments as they exist in Lahore.  Re-alignment for better management and efficiency requires an extensive survey study form the entire district of Lahore.  For the purpose international consultant GTZ has been selected by the Government of Punjab which will complete its study in 2011.  Until then LTC will improve upon bus and passenger transport infrastructure on the existing route alignment.

At the moment the Bus transport service in Lahore district is planned over 53 routes, which are based on 2006 survey of passengers, published in Punjab Gazette 2006.  Out of these 53 routes, however, only 30 are operational.  Click here for detail of each route.  The non-operational Bus routes are being serviced by non permitted Vans/Coasters/Wagons/Richshaws and QingQi's.  The low cost of these informal and poorly maintained service vehicles has literally driven out the Bus service from these routes.  LTC intends to reclaim all routes through affordable and efficient Bus transport service.  LTC is cognizant of the fact that these illegal passenger service vehicles and their owners require to be adjusted to alternate roads.

At the moment, bus transport service in Lahore is being provided by a fleet of 650 buses, almost all of which are 6 year or older in manufacturing terms.  Although LTC will be replacing the entire lot of old buses with new buses, yet LTC is aware that the induction of more than 2000 buses will take some time to replace the existing Buses.  In order to provide comfortable service during this intermediary switching time, LTC has planned to refurbish the existing Buses and to increase their number of each route according to a careful planned study carried out by the LTC Operations and Planning wing.

A tender has already been floated in news papers, which calls for all interested transport parties to apply for the non operational routes in Lahore.  These routes will be issued for only 6 months.  New buses are not required for this operation.  But all interested operators will be required to refurbish the buses and to ply the buses on schedule and quantity dictated by LTC.  The transporters will be bound to install tracking devices on their buses, so that LTC can track the quality of service being provided by each transport operator.

Under CM Punjab's initiative for safe, efficient and affordable transport in Lahore, LTC has decided to induct 2000 new buses into Lahore, by the June 2012.  The new buses will replace the existing old buses as well as provide services on non operational routes in Lahore.  New and existing operators will be invited to submit their interest, in providing bus transport services in Lahore, under transparent and published criteria by Lahore Transport Company.  Details of the opportunity are available here.