LAHORE, Aug 7: The Lahore Transport Company has asked private transport companies operating imported buses on various routes in big cities to get maintenance certificate for each vehicle after every 1,000km run from the concerned bus companies’ workshops.

“The policy is aimed to ensure provision of safe and comfortable journey in mega cities such as Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur,” LTC Chairman Khwaja Ahmad Hassan told a Chinese Bus Company’s delegation here on Tuesday.

He said the LTC was playing an effective role in planning, regulating and facilitating operations of transport companies operating in the private sector in Lahore and other cities of Punjab.

“Acquisition of a maintenance certificate will be mandatory for urban transporters from the respective manufacturing bus companies, as significant change has been introduced in the urban transport culture with induction of the state of the art air-conditioned buses in various cities,” he said, adding that 20 new A/C buses were also being provided to Sialkot keeping in view the public demand there.

He said the LTC, keeping in view shortage of new buses in Lahore and other parts of the province, planned to get hundreds of more buses soon. Earlier, the delegation led by Mr XIA Feng Wang (General Manager, Ankai, International bus manufacturing company, China) appreciated the LTC for introducing Chinese buses in Lahore and other big cities of Punjab. He said the company had earlier provided 350 buses running in Punjab cities successfully.