Lahore: The Punjab government and Albayrak Group on Wednesday renewed the contract negotiations for the Lahore Metro Bus service at a rate 43% lower than the previously agreed conditions, a news source reported. As per the details shared, both sides have extended the agreement for the procurement, operations, and maintenance of the bus service.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar stated that the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) had renewed the contract negotiations for the Lahore Metro Bus Service for the next four years at a rate of PKR 304 per kilometre.
In 2012, PMTA and Albayrak Group had signed an eight-year contact for the project at a rate of PKR 368 per kilometre. In this regard, the CM stated that if they had renewed the contract at the same rate, the price would have soared to PKR 532 per kilometre.
On the other hand, Albayrak Group informed the PMTA that the metro buses procured for the project had an average service life of 12 years. The company officials said that the buses had remained unused for at least 12 months due to the suspension of services because of public holidays, strikes, and the coronavirus lockdown. Therefore, they added that the buses had only operated for seven years and could run for the next five years.
