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Rapid Transit System:A rapid transit system is a passenger transport system in an urban area for fast
passenger transportation from one point to another place in the city. Or simply the system that is used in cities for quickly bringing people to and from places. A large number of people take benefit from this system especially commuters which travels in regular basis (students , teachers , employees etc.) from residential areas to the workplace and then back. Rapid transit is used in cities, agglomerations, and metropolitan areas to transport large numbers of people at high frequency. Mass Transit System is typically located either in underground tunnels or on elevated viaducts (flyovers or overpasses) above street level for smooth and fast flow of dedicated Transport. Mass transportation have two forms depends on the transportation type used

Metro System:Metro System is rapid transit in which there are trains

for carrying people in minimum time. Metro systems are referred to as subways or undergrounds, metropolitan railway, elevated railway. Tracks are built usually underground in the central region of the city and as they spread out they are elevated tracks. Several stations for passengers transfer are built. As of 2012 there are more than 160 metro system running around the world

Figure 1 The world's longest "Shanghai Metro" in 'Peoples Republic Of China'

including well known Shanghai Metro in china which is also the longest in the world and in London there is a Rapid transit system called London Underground or in England it is usually called The London Tube uses High Speed Metro trains that runs underground or below the road. In New York city there is New Figure 2 Photo of London Underground" also called "The London Tube" York City Subway. In New York City 5.3 million people travels per day through this metro system. There are also certain benefits of travelling in subways over your personal auto mobile. Traveling by subway is inexpensive, convenient, safe and environmentally friendly. Driving a car to work become expensive when you take into account car repairs, fuel, parking fees, taxes and licensing. In cities where congestion is an issue, subway travel is much quicker than other modes of transportation. Subway accidents are very very rare it is actually quite safe to travel through them.

Bus Rapid Transit:-

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems
using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. These systems use bus stations instead of bus stops, a design feature that allows passengers to pay before boarding the bus. This allows for faster, more orderly boarding , similar to those of metro or light rail systems. Buses run on a grade separated or bus-only tracks. GRADE SEPARATED Grade separated means separated from surface traffic of all kinds cars, trucks, trains, people, bicycles, etc. so that the buses can run without any interference from (or to) other traffic. These special lanes are only used by the Rapid Transit Buses. A bus-only track may be elevated (above the ground like overpass or flyover type), depressed (like underpasses constructed beneath the road), or routed through a tunnel. . Stations also have elevated boarding platforms level with the bus floors so passengers don't need to climb steps to get on the bus. For the passengers convenience, electronic signage tells users when the next bus is arriving. When compared to Figure 3 Delhi "Bus Rapid transit System" in India traditional bus systems, bus rapid transit is fast, efficient, safe, and user-friendly. Bus-rapid transit is also far more flexible than rail transit. It can be installed quickly, not requiring years of construction, and various aspects of it can be phased in over several years. It Figure 4 Photo of "TransMilenio" Rapid Bus Tranist can allow more transit riders to go long distances system in Bogota (the Capital of Colombia) without making inconvenient transfers. In recent years, a new type of mass transit called bus-rapid transit has emerged as a means of providing better transportation at lower costs. Bus rapid System is cheaper to construct than the Rail transit or metro transit system because rail transit requires special tracks for the trains to be run on and more constructions than the BRT.

Comparison between BRT and LRT:Cost

Bus Rapid Transit System is cheaper than Metro or Rail transit and to be more specific you can build 10 BRT SYSTEMS with the budget of one LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT. The operational cost for maintaining the BRT is very low than LRT. The Journal article quotes Dennis Hine Baugh, head of a transportation center at the University of South Florida, saying You can build up to 10 BRT lines for the cost of one light-rail line.

Popularity

Bus rapid transit is becoming more popular among the people with generally low fare cost and avoiding the hassle to walk to the nearest Metro Station.

Conclusion
For country like Pakistan where there is a deficiency of budget for Infrastructure Building the Bus Rapid Transit System is best suited.

Metro Bus Service Project ( MBS ) :-

Metro Bus Service Project has been initiated by the Government of Punjab is a
Rapid Transit System. It will introduce for the first time in Pakistan the Rapid Transit which was a desperately needed due to traffic conditions in Lahore. Previously the project name was Bus Rapid Transit System project and now the project name has been changed to Metro Bus Service. Traffic problem in Lahore has become a major issue at the moment and it is getting even worst with every passing day. Numerous reasons are there which are accelerating the intensity of this problem. With the mounting population of Lahore, the vehicles have also increased to an incalculable number causing a mess of traffic jam in almost every hour of the day. Among the various reasons of traffic problems in Lahore, a few are; lack of proper system, bad quality of roads, lack of proper transportation system, violation of traffic rules, negligence of traffic wardens, using mobile phones while driving, parking on the main roads and construction of commercial buildings at the main and busy roads. Besides these reasons, there are certain other elements which also play a vital role in creating this problem. Among these elements, the important one is the lack of awareness among people about the traffic rules, which are made for their safety. With every passing day, one can observe the addition of a huge number of vehicles on the roads of the city. This increased number of vehicles creates traffic jam on signals of the main roads, particularly in the morning, when people leave for their offices and students leave for their schools and colleges. The same situation happens again when schools and colleges close at afternoon and the roads present a picture of mess. Traffic wardens fail to control this mess which has become a headache for people. Besides this, the traffic system of Lahore requires certain changes which

are quite essential to resolve the issue in a proper way. This system is not working well at the moment as it has failed to resolve the traffic problems. It needs certain improvements in different aspects to resolve the problem in an effective way.

Project details:
Designed by: TEPA Status: Under Construction Contractors: Habib Construction Services + Others Construction Date: JAN 2012 Completion Date: JUL 2013 Project Cost: Rs22-27 Billion Client: Department of Transportation, Government of Punjab Route Length: 30 km approx. Lanes: 1+1 Bus Lane Location: From Gajjumatta to Shadara, Lahore, Punjab

Construction of Elevated Tracks:

Metro Bus Service Project includes an uninterrupted and dedicated lane for buses
to be used only for the metro Buses purchased by the Government of Punjab , is being constructed over a span of 32 kilometer from Gajjumatta to Shahdra. These Lanes are reserved only for Metro Buses to minimize obstructions and travelling time due to enhanced traffic.The construction of Elevated tracks is started from Gajjumatta which is near Kahna there are bi-lanes or two lanes for two way transportation of Metro Buses, this lane go all the way to Kalma chowk through Ferozepur road.

Kalma Chowk
.The construction of Elevated tracks is started from Gajjumatta which is near Kahna there are bi-lanes or two lanes for two way transportation of Metro Buses, this lane go all the way to Kalma chowk through Ferozepur road.At kalma chowk there are already two flyovers built and in between them Metro Bus lane is in the construction mode and soon will be in operational mode.

Kalma chowk Flyover

The project was started by the Punjab government on March 5, 2011 and completed in a record period, in Figure 5 Construction of flyover at Kalma chowk 135 days. Project's cost was Rs. 2 billion. The Kalma Chowk Flyover was a significant mega-structure and gained more popularity as it was completed in time and inaugurated on August 14, the Independence Day. The flyover seemed to have resolved the issue of traffic jams at Kalma Chowk. Punjab University teacher Usman said: I had to wait for two to three signals Figure 6 Beginning of underpass construction before crossing the junction. He said building the Kalma at "Kalma Chowk" Chowk Flyover was a necessary step to improve traffic flow in the city. There is a visible change in traffic after the construction of the flyover, said a traffic warden deployed there.

MBS Track at Kalma Chowk The gradeseparated bus-only track is being construction in the middle of the two already built flyovers.

Kalma Chowk Underpass

The government has approved the building of two underpasses at Kalma Chowk linking Garden Town and Gulbergs Main Boulevard at a cost of Rs 1.125 billion but it is now increased from 1.125 billion to around 1.5 billion rupees.There would be three lanes for under pass and it would would be 5.1 metres high, meaning they could be used by heavy traffic as Figure 7 Bus station at Kalma chowk and at the right thers well, unlike most of the underpasses in the city, are stairs for underpass which are 3.6 metres high. they would be longer (about 600 metres) as well as steeper, with a five-degree slope rather than a three-degree slope.

The government has given a deadline of sixty days for the construction of both the underpasses at Kalma Chowk.

Muslim Town

The corridor includes an 8km overhead bridge from Muslim Town Mor to Texali and This is the longest flyover constructed ever in South Asia region.From kalma chowk the grade-separated bus lanes goes to New Muslim Town. There are three flyover going through Muslim Town including one exit ramp to Wahdat Road and two flyovers ends at Ichera creating Signal-free Muslim Town.This project was commened back in October 28, 2011 and was completed in record time as Kalma Chowk in 177 days.The cost of this project was 2.3 billion rupees.This fly-over is in operational mode since 29 April, 2012. and there is also a flyover going from Qadaffi Stadium to ichera through Figure 8 New Muslim Town flyover Muslim Town which is in fully operational form and giving facility to the transportation needs of people and from Muslim Town the MBS track extends to Qartaba chowk near Mazang through Ferozepur Road .

Qurtaba Chowk
Qartaba Chowk is one of the busiest crossings in the provincial metropolis, from where according to an estimate some 200,000 vehicles pass everyday. Keeping in view the increasing traffic load and frequent jams at Qartaba Chowk (Mozang Chungi) at the juncture of Ferozepur and Lytton roads, the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (Tepa) has been given a go-ahead by the Lahore Development Authority to construct a flyover there.According to City42 a private news channel media this flyover will be ready till December 25 ,2012.

Lytton Road

From Mazang the MBS flyover will through lytton road to Jain Mandir stop.The construction is being done and soon be completed. Distan is approximately 1.5 km from Qurtaba chowk to Jain Mandir.Aong the sides of tracks railing is installed and also plants along it has enhanced the beauty of it. The work on Rs3 billion project will be launched in two phases soon after the completion of the Metro Bus System (MBS) project that is already underway linking this section to the 27-km long route from Gajjumata to Shahdara. This construction from Kalma Chowk to Qartaba chowk is separately handled to keep its pace and is named as package no.

Figure 9 Photo of Qurtaba Chowk "Labours are carpeting the road"

2 , and the total track length is 4.9 kilometers , this lane is expected to be completed by the end of December 2012.
the Punjab CM has directed the authority and the contructors to put every effort for its speedy completion while every task should be

Figure 10 Lahore Secretariat

completed within the timeframe at any cost and he also directed to ensure the quality of the construction being made.

From Qurtaba Chowk MBS flyover will go to Jain Mandir via lytton road. Crust Road and Figure 11 photo of MBS flyover near Nasir Bagh on Lower then it pass from M.A.O College.and From mall M.A.O college along the Lower Mall its next stop is Lahore Secretariat then along the lower mall road it will pass through Government College University (GCU) and Government Central Model School Lower Mall Road. Data Darbar.On either side of the lanes the normal traffic will run and in-between no private or any other traffic will be alowed to be run but in emer gency cases like accidents or fire conditions in the city ambulences or

Figure 13Photo of MBS lane near M.A.O college

Figure 12 Contruction of MBS

fire brigade will be allowed to access these tracks or specialzed lanes.This project is not only reserved for the routes being constructed but many other things will also be included , giving comfort and International standard facitlity to the people of Punjab.

Package-1
Route Length: 10.1km Stations: From Youhanabad to Kalma Chowk Road: Ferozepur Road

Package-2
Route Length: 4.9km Stations: From Kalma Chowk to Qurtaba Chowk/Mozang Chungi

Road: Ferozepur Road

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Package-3 & 4
Route Length: 4.1km Stations: From Qurtaba Chowk/Mozang Chungi to Data Darbar Road:Lytton Road+Lower Mall Road

Package-5
Route Length: 2.5km

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Stations: From Data Darbar to Shahdra Mor Road: Data Darbar Road + Ravi Road

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Buses specified for MBS

For the first time in Pakistan articulated buses will touch the ground and will be seen in running condition.These buses are far more better than the typical one section buses which are currently running on the roads.

45 Buses Consignmennt
According to officials, buses have been dispatched by the manufacturing company, Volvo China, to Pakistan. The fleet costs over Rs1.260 billion whereas each bus is Rs28 million. As soon as the ships dock at Karachi seaport, a technical team of the Punjab government would go there to deal with unloading, and custom clearance issues. Every bus has 50 to 60 seats with separate compartments for women and men, and can accommodate 150 passengers in all at a time.total 115 buses are to imported from China in this regard and will be given to LTC (Lahore transport comany) to be maintained and for the use of public.

No Fare for first Four Weeks

Chief minister has announced free travelling in new buses when the project will be completed for first four weeks. It is a very great news for the people that for the whole month when the MBS project will be completed, they can can travel anywhere with state-of-the-art buses and on state-of-the-art roads and flyovers.

Specs of buses for MBS:

For first time in Pakistan Articulated buses will be used rather than typical bus . Articulated Buses comprise two rigid sections link together. It is approximately 18 meters in length while the standard rigid construction buses are usually 11-14 meters.This articulated bus has 50-60 seats. It has a capacity of carrying around 150 passengers at a time.It has 10 wheels.Each bus is Rs28 million which is about 2 crore and 80 lac rupees. Manufacturing Company for theses buses is VOLVO China. These buses will leave from every bus station after every two and a half minutes delay. The design speed of the corridor is 35 kilometres per hour.These buses will be air-conditioned to

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avoid masses from inconvenience of hot-weather effect. The project when completed and in

Figure 15 A typical bus

Figure 15 Articualted bus with a joint

effect would serve around 18,000 people every hour providing masses facility of international standard. All the buses will be on road as soom as the track is complete.

Buses Fares
CHIEF Minister Shahbaz Sharif paid a visit to Metro Bus Service Project early in the morning on Sunday and reviewed the pace of construction work.He said completion of the bus service would result in modern, affordable and rapid transport facilities. He said the bus service would soon be opened to the public and its fare would be within the reach of the
common man, adding that the service would be completely free for the people

during its first four weeks and no fare would be charged. He said the modern service would revolutionise transport system and give a new identity to Lahore. Shahbaz said that he realised that due to construction work, people were facing problems and difficulties but they were temporary and would give way to permanent relief. While reviewing construction work at different sections of the project, the CM directed the authorities to ensure expeditious implementation of the project. He said the pace of work could be accelerated through better coordination between the departments concerned, adding that there should be no delay in execution of the public welfare project. He issued directions for making arrangements for the continuation of the work on the project even during Eidul Azha holidays, saying that no compromise would be made on the quality of work.

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Bus Terminal
The project consists of 27 bus stations to be constructed to provide safe and easy boarding facility to passengers.Out of 27 bus stations 18 of which have completed and 9 will soon be completed.Some bus terminals have been built on ground and some are on the elevated tracks or the curb sides of MBS lanes for the MBS flyover.Passengers can reach the stations via pedestrian overhead bridges.

Specification Station

of

Bus

Each station is about 100 m in length consisting of two platforms each on the curb side. Each station will be provided with overpass, equipped with escalators for pedestrian access.

Security Measures for Bus Stations

A lot of expensive equipments will be installed for Figure 16 Inside of bus terminal for metro buses which security is essential, such as Turnstiles, Station PCs, PIS display screens, sound systems, surveillance cameras, point of sales machines for tickets, electric appliances etc. Any unauthorized person or vehicle will be strictly prohibited to enter into the MBS corridor. Theprime objective of the security service provider will be to provide security and safety of the assetsand the users of MBS with qualified and professional staff,

Solar Energy to supply power to bus stations

There is currently shortage of power in Pakistan so to provide the bus stations with electricity to run escalators and LED display for informations of bus routes, Chief Minister has ordered to use solar panels for uninterrupting supply of power to statioins

Location of Bus terminals

Figure 17 Photo of Bus station at Secretariat built on the sides of MBS flyover

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The location of the Bus Terminals are hudyara station , ibrahim mashid station , yuhanabad station , nishter station , atari saroba station , kamahan station , chungi amar sidhu station , ghaxi road station , walton road station , iteifaq hospital station , naseerabad station , model town station , kalma chowk station , qaddafi stadium station , canal station , wahdat road station , ichra station , sharma station , qurtaba station , janazagah station , Hailey College station , secretariat station , distric court staiton , data darbar station , azadi chowk station , timber market station , niazi chowk station, shahdra station. After Every 1 kilometer there will be a bus station. The bus station provides the passengers with the state of the art facilities.

Figure 18 Photo of Bus Station near Kalma Chowk

Facilities for PWD (People with Disabilities)

The bus stations in construction also facilitates PWDs for safe boarding.Bus stations will have escaltors for especially built for passenger with any disability.They can use these escaltors rather than the pedestrian overhead bridges to reach the station.In the adjacent photo , you can see a bus station above on flyover and there is an pedestrian overhead to access the station , the space is left on the right side of stairs for later construction of esclators for people with disabilities so that they can easily access the station and also travel on Metro buses.

Figure 19 pedestrian overhead to access bus station and some space is left for deployment of escalators

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CCTV Cameras:
A central control room would be set up to monitor the entire route of the bus service and the bus stations. He said the latest closed-circuit television cameras would be installed along the route and monitored in the control room, while strict security arrangements would be made for the stations. The security system will remain functional 24 hours continuously, and all related aspects will be reviewed, while making security arrangements.

CCTV cameras installed at stations and along the route of the Metro Bus

A central control room set up to monitor the entire route of the bus service

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Rescue 1122 Facility:

There will be medium-term and long-term security plans for the MBS. A Rescue 1122 centre will be set up at the elevated section of the MBS. Rescue 1122 centers will be set up on Canal Bank Road and at Yadgar Chowk.

Park & ride-stations:

11 park and ride stations would be set up along the MBS route for commuters They will be provided with complete security at these parks and ride stations.

Park & Ride Stations E-ticketing for entire urban bus transport:

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BUS Terminals For MBS