BAHAWALPUR: The Punjab government has discontinued the operation of the Speedo bus service between Bahawalpur and Lodhran much to the annoyance of the public.

Dawn learnt that the bus operation has been halted in line with the government’s policy to do away with the subsidy. The decision has created problems for the public, especially a large number of students belonging to rural areas around Lodhran from where they daily travel to their institutions and back home.

About two months earlier, the Speedo bus operation had been suspended owing to non-payment of the arrears of millions of rupees of the contracting bus service but on the demand of the Lahore students in particular and after the intervention of PTI’s senior leader Jahangir Tareen, the service was restored.

Now the government has cancelled the operation on the pretext of the subsidy issue, although the arrears (of the contractor) running into millions of rupees have yet to be cleared by the government.

The government of Shahbaz Sharif had entered into an agreement with the Korean company for the operation of this service. The fare was Rs20 for one side. Initially, the government had launched a fleet of 12 air-conditioned buses which were later reduced to four.

The general perception is that the service has been withdrawn on the order of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar who has launched this service in his hometown --Taunsa Sharif to Dera Ghazi Khan. The demand for the bus service in the area was voiced soon after Mr Buzdar was tipped for the slot of the chief minister by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

District Regional Transport Authority Secretary Zafar Ali Malik told Dawn that the Punjab government’s Speedo bus operation was over for the Bahawalpur-Lodhran route. However, he said, the district administration had instead launched its own urban transport system on this route for the convenience of the population, particularly the students of Bahawalpur and Lodhran.

He said an agreement had been made with a private transport operator who would ply four buses daily on this route at the same fare of Rs20 per head.

Denying the claims that the service had been diverted to the chief minister’s hometown, he said the services of a private transport operator had been acquired to provide facility to the people of Taunsa and adjoining areas. He claimed that with the launch of the urban bus system for Bahawalpur and Lodhran, the students would be more than compensated.

The Punjab government, he said, had already paid half the arrears to the tune of Rs600 million to the contractor of the Speedo bus service.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2019