Free transport plan finalised for Basant celebrations in Lahore

LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Punjab government has finalised a comprehensive free transport plan for citizens during the Basant celebrations in Lahore.

The Lahore Division Commissioner has approved the transport plan, under which residents will be able to travel free of cost on Metro Bus services and the Orange Line Metro Train throughout the festivities.

According to the Commissioner Lahore, the Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Punjab Transport Company, and private ride-hailing companies will jointly provide free transport facilities. In addition, buses have been requisitioned from government colleges and universities to support transportation needs during Basant.

Under the plan, free transport services will be available on 24 routes across the city. A total of 228 buses will operate on Lahore’s feeder routes, while 64 Metro Bus Service vehicles will also offer free travel. Furthermore, 54 buses from government colleges and 73 buses from universities will be deployed to facilitate commuters.

The Orange Line Metro Train is expected to accommodate approximately 250,000 passengers daily. The Metro Bus service from Gajjumata to Shahdara will provide free transport to around 87,000 people per day, while feeder routes will have the capacity to serve an additional 127,000 passengers daily.

Several dedicated routes have been announced, including Rana Town to Railway Station, RA Bazar to Chungi, Bhatti Chowk to Shadbagh, Depot Chowk to Chungi, and Canal to Jinnah Terminal. Additional routes such as Railway Station to Gulshan-e-Ravi, Wahdat Road to Qurtaba Chowk, RA Bazar to Nasser Bagh, Purana Kahna to RA Bazar, Bhatti Chowk to RA Bazar, and Jinnah Bus Terminal to BRB Canal will also remain operational.

Overall, the plan aims to provide free transport to approximately 516,000 people daily through buses, while 5,000 privately operated rickshaws will also be branded and used to offer free transportation services during the celebrations.