Pakistani Transport Sector (2013-2018)

[Cyberian]

Sethi for modern transport system
Tuesday, 14 May 201

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Najam Sethi has said that providing modern means of transport is the duty of the government and metro bus project is providing safe and speedy transport facilities to millions of travellers.

He was presiding over a high level meeting to review metro bus system at Chief Minister's Secretariat, on Monday.

Najam Sethi said, a modern public transport system is of vital importance in the present age. He said, transport system can be improved by utilizing modern technology and better facilities can be provided to the citizens. He said, metro bus project is helping in solution of traffic problems and has left a positive impact on the traffic system of the provincial metropolis.

He directed that the escalators installed at metro bus stations for the benefit of the disabled and senior citizens should be kept in a working condition. He said that immediate arrangements should be made for the safety and maintenance of escalators while measures should be taken for covering the system with modern methods so as to protect them from rain and dust.

General Manager Metro Bus Authority while giving a briefing about metro bus system said more than 125,000 citizens travel by metro buses daily. Besides token, he said, card system has also been introduced for the convenience of the passengers.

He said, in view of the increasing rush, 9 metro buses are being imported after which the total number of commuters travelling by metro buses will increase to 160,000 daily.

Sethi for modern transport system

 

[AUz]

lol..sethi showing his aukat...

The basics of economics regarding public goods is the rule

marginal social cost = marginal social benefit

Now, just calculate the total costs of Metro Bus project including externalities etc..

Metro Bus would've been a good project if it was entirely local...Shahbaz gave 'free gifts' to his Turkish friends and butchered the tax money of already poor Pakistan..

On a side note : Pakistan should develop Indus River System as a way for transporting goods from Karachi to rest of Pakistan...

 

[ejaz007]

caretaker government's job was to conduct free and fare elections. That he has failed to do and is reviewing projects done by previous government. This is not what he is supposed to do.

 

[Cyberian]

Important road projects to be completed in next 5 years
Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: National Highways Authority (NHA) expects the road projects having significance of regional and international links will be completed during the next five years.

NHA is looking after 12,131 kilometers (km) long road network all over the country and it is expected road projects having significant of regional and international links will be completed during the next five years.

Participants of 13th Faculty member incharge Sher Afghan Khan visited NHA on Monday. NHA’s member (planning) Raja Nowsherwan gave a detailed briefing regarding functioning of NHA.

National Highway network played a vital role in socio-economic uplift and NHA were endeavoring to establish a countrywide coordinated road network.

He said NHA was maintaining 2,731 km road in Punjab, 2,204 km in Sindh, 1,878 km in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 4,565 km in Balochistan. Total length of new road projects is 3713 km, which will be completed at cost of $3,911 million.

NHA is paying particular attention towards road building and Gwadar linkages in Balochistan. Ratodero-Khuzdar-Panjgur Road stands among priorities of NHA.

He expressed commitment to reduce traveling time on NHA network to a considerable extent. NHA desires to undertake road projects on Public Private Partnership and Built, Operate, Transfer basis.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Honda profit up by 145% over last year’s loss
Wednesday, May 22, 2013

KARACHI: Honda Atlas Cars (HCAR) reported increasing profit after tax (PAT) to Rs 244 million, depicting exponential growth of 145.9 percent over the last year loss of Rs 532 million, as per financial results for the year ended March 31, 2013 announced on Tuesday.

The figure of 4.8 percent as gross profit margin is the main cause for these favourable results. HCAR reported financial year 2012-13 earnings per share (EPS) of Rs 1.71 per share as against of Rs 3.73 per share loss in 2011-12.

HCAR reported a full year cash dividend of 3 percent (Re 0.30), which is quite favourable and as per expectations, said analysts. Launch of new model of City and Accord in this fiscal year gained the attention of high end car buyers and company enjoyed sales of Rs 30 billion this year which is somehow double the sale of last year of Rs 16 billion in the term of revenue, said Rajesh Kumar Maheshwari an analyst at Standard Securities Limited.

Likewise the sale of Honda City increased by 105 percent and sale of Honda Civic increased by 73 percent in term of quantity this year against last year.

The Company experienced lower manufacturing cost, as Japanese yen has depreciated against US dollar in this year, because major cost of manufacturing is imports of spare parts from Japan which can purchase at relatively low price in Pakistani currency as compare to last year cost of sales due to which Company managed to report gross profit of Rs 1447 million (4.8 percent of sales). General election had also impacted positive on sales of HCAR as heavy buying of brand new cars by the political leaders and candidates witnessed during the election campaign and preparation of general election.

HCAR’s portfolio carries high price luxury cars, which gained the attention of these buyers and resulted in increase in sales during the first three months of 2013. Rajesh said a positive future for HCAR was ahead, as Company’s sales in month of April was also favourable and it sold 1,800 locally assembled units of City and Civic.

Sales of high end cars will continue to increase in upcoming days and HCAR will report favourable earnings in first quarter in the fiscal year 2013-14. staff report

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[arushbhai]

Najam sethi is sitting on some really massive secrets right now. I cant wait for him to go back to his tv show with muneeb farooq and talk about his experience. He no longer needs his chiriya for info. He has seen everything first hand, he has seen how government is run first hand. Its going to be fun.

 

[Cyberian]

Hybrid cars: good for nothing
Sunday, June 02, 2013

By Abrar Hamza

KARACHI: Hybrid cars will remain out of reach of the common man due to their high prices, thus proving good for nothing for a major segment of our population, which is in need of small cars, auto dealers said on Saturday.

All Pakistan Motor Dealers Association (APMDA) Chairman H M Shahzad, while commenting on the soon-to-be-launched hybrid cars in Pakistan, said it is good news but hybrid cars will not prove good for the middle-class segment of the society.

He said that hybrid technology cars are already available in Pakistan as 200 to 300 units have been imported into Pakistan last year but owing to their expensive price tags (Rs 1.7 million to Rs 2.2 million of 2007 to 2009 models, respectively) they are unpopular.

In the wake of energy crisis, especially shortage of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which has become the main fuel of vehicles in Pakistan, Shahzad suggested that local assemblers should assemble small series cars within 600 to 650cc engine capacity as this can be very good for middle-class segment and save money and fuel both.

He said if the auto import policy, which was applicable till June 2012, is restored then auto importers will be able to import cheaper cars and also hybrid cars on lesser prices in favour of the country.

Shahzad further said that local assemblers cannot manufacture hybrid cars in Pakistan and they will import Completely Built Unit from Japan.

The middle-class segment of the society cannot enjoy benefits of the hybrid technology until it is available to them in their buying range, he added.

Shahzad offered that if the government reduces age limit condition on imported cars, dealers can provide the 2004-2005 models of hybrid vehicles to people in the price range of Rs 1 million to Rs 1.2 million.

Zulfiqar has a hybrid car. He shares his experience on a website related to automobiles. He said, “I think the whole concept of ‘economical’ is flawed, economical running but extreme service expense makes the car more expensive than a regular car. To further go deep, hybrids are made to be recycled every five years, which does not happen in Pakistan.”

Moreover, hybrid cars will not prove good due to inappropriate road conditions in Pakistan. According to technical specifications of hybrid vehicles their motor generator is situated between the engine and the transmission, and if a car gets in rainwater on a road it will exhaust the generator. Then the hybrid car becomes non-operational and new generator is required.

Also, replacement of battery of hybrid vehicles is quite expensive as original batteries cost within the range of $2,000 to $3,000, and they have to be imported. The life of hybrid battery is considerably short given traffic conditions in Pakistan.

Is it unfortunate that local carmakers in the country have stopped making cheaper cars, which has taken a heavy toll on the middle-class segment of the society as they cannot afford the high-end cars. The popularity of small cars among masses could be ascertained by this simple example that out of total 50,000 imported cars till to date 40 percent were of the small segment.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Cyberian]

Qaim nods revival of circular railway
Saturday, June 08, 2013

Staff Report

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah gave approval for revival of Karachi Circular Railway. Estimated cost of the project is 2.6 billion dollars, for which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is ready to make the investment.

Shah announced this while presiding over a meeting at CM House, here on Friday. He directed the concerned authorities to remove all hurdles in the project and ensure completion of the project within a short span of time.

According to an official handout, Shah said that lower and labour class is facing immense difficulties due to the shortage of public transport. This section of society would be the main beneficiary of this Circular Railway project therefore it should be started without further delay, he added.

Chief Secretary Sindh apprised the chief minister that transport on the roads of Karachi comprises 47.3 percent bikes, 36.5 percent private cars, 4.5 percent Public transport, whereas 9.9 percent and 1.7 percent para-transit and contract carriages respectively.

He told the meeting that the 4.5 percent of Public Transport Vehicles carry 42 percent of total persons traveling in the city. Whereas Private Cars which are 36.5 percent of total vehicular traffic carry only 21 percent of persons. This leads to the conclusion that there is still deficiency of public transport availability on all major routes in the city and circular railway is the need of the hour, he added.

He further said that the route of Karachi Circular Railway would be from Nipa KCR Station to North Nazimabad Station. Then it goes to Lyari, Machhar Colony, Saddar, Kala Pul at Mehran KCR station, and then rounding through PAF Museum Shahrah-e-Faisal it will link back to Nipa. He added that the trains will be available after every five minutes.

Total cost of the project is estimated at 2.6 billion dollars. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is ready to make the investment. Sindh government and Economic Affairs Division will soon sign an agreement with the JICA.

He further said that for the proper and effective launching of project the KCR will be connected with different areas of the city with the help of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Passenger living as far as Surjani Town, areas near National Highway, Landhi, Korangi, Steel Mill, Malir and other areas will avail the BRT to reach KCR stations. This will facilitate at least two million passengers on daily basis.

It was informed at the meeting that total length of the project would be 43 kilometres and one passenger would be charged maximum Rs25 for a full round of journey. He said that currently around 0.7 million commuters use public transport on daily basis, but the figure would rise up to three million after proper and effective completion of the project.

The meeting was told that the project would most probably be completed within three to four years. Private investors would also be attracted for investment once it takes some physical shape.

The meeting was attended by the Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon, Advisor to Chief Minister for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Sindh Muhammad Aijaz Chaudhri, Secretary Finance Suhail Ahmed Rajput, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch and other concerned officials.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[SBD-3]

lol..sethi showing his aukat...

The basics of economics regarding public goods is the rule

marginal social cost = marginal social benefit

Few things
1-The allocation of public good is always not efficient because
a)The goods supply is calculated by vertical addition of demands not horizontal addition of demands (like private good) -Samelson's Rule-
b)There is always a tendency of disequilibrium because without price, the economic agents tend to undermine their personal benifits while showing less demand for public good. (Lindhal's equilibirum)
Thus simply stating that SMC=SMB holds if and only if
1-Utility functions of each individual is known
2-Utility is quantifiable
For some goods (like polution) it can be calculated, but for many others it can't be.

Now, just calculate the total costs of Metro Bus project including externalities etc..

Again, can you even identify the externalities let alone quantify them?

Metro Bus would've been a good project if it was entirely local...Shahbaz gave 'free gifts' to his Turkish friends and butchered the tax money of already poor Pakistan..

???? Do we have any expertise of running such systems before? Had Lahore metero been up and running for say 5-7 years, then probably yes because then it would be reasonable to argue that since we have passed the steep end of learning curve ,we could implement such projects domestically. But realistically speaking, Pakistan had no experience of any such sort.