News24
26 Oct 2020, 23:42 GMT+10
Pakistan's first metro line began operations Monday in the eastern city of Lahore following years of delays, in a country severely lacking public transport or modern infrastructure.
Stretching 27 kilometres and dotted with more than two dozen stations, the Chinese-backed "Orange Line" will cut travel time across the perennially congested city in Punjab province from two-and-a-half hours by bus to 45 minutes on the metro.
"This project will provide world-class facilities to the public in Lahore," Punjab's chief minister Usman Buzdar said during an inauguration ceremony Sunday.
The line's opening follows years of delays, political controversies, and growing questions about the massive amount of debt Pakistan has taken on in recent years through Chinese-financed infrastructure projects.
The metro cost approximately 300 billion rupees ($1.8 billion). Critics have also blasted the project for endangering numerous historical sites across Lahore.
Despite the delays and controversies, authorities are hopeful the new line will reduce traffic congestion in the city of more than 11 million, where commuters frequently spend hours in cars or buses daily due to grinding traffic.
Officials expect about 250 000 people will be able to travel on the metro system daily. Much of Pakistan suffers from poor public transport infrastructure making daily commutes in urban areas difficult and costly for many low-wage workers.
Beijing has been steadily pouring cash into Pakistan, investing more than $50 billion as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that has upgraded infrastructure, power and transport links across the country.
Chinese news agency Xinhua praised the opening of the metro line, calling it the beginning of "a new stage for the South Asian country in the public transportation sector".
Get a daily dose of Central Asia Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Central Asia Times.
More InformationZURICH, Switzerland: The Swiss National Bank (SNB) lowered its key interest rate to zero percent on June 19 to respond to falling inflation,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government is preparing to revise its influential dietary advice, with a significant shift: dropping the...
ZURICH, Switzerland: The U.S. saw an extraordinary rise in wealth last year, with more than 1,000 people crossing into millionaire...
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: The city that prides itself on being a beacon of peace and justice—home to institutions like the International...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Since taking office in December 2023, Argentine President Javier Milei has implemented sweeping austerity...
LEMBATA, Indonesia: Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted dramatically on June 18, generating substantial ash and smoke plumes....
BEIJING/WELLINGTON: New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon commenced his visit to China on June 17, seeking to strengthen trade...
NEW DELHI, India: Indian investigators are examining the black boxes from a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to determine the cause of a catastrophic...
NEW DELHI, India: The flight data recorder from the crashed Air India plane was found on June 13. This vital discovery may help investigators...
BEIJING, China: A typhoon altered its course and struck Hainan Island, southern China, late on the night of June 13. Typhoon Wutip...
TOKYO, Japan: Japan has a new top sumo wrestler — and he's Japanese. Onosato, who weighs 191 kilograms (421 pounds), has become a yokozuna,...
Leeds [UK], June 21 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant overtook former skipper Rohit Sharma, becoming the team's leading...