Travel Experience of Two Metros: Pakistan and Germany

The Lahore Metro bus project commenced with a big bang as after the demise of the Lahore Omni Bus Service (LOS), once the darling of Lahore's roads and transportation system, there has been no alternative to the LOS. Like many others, I also wanted to have a ride on the Lahore Metro to be part of this new era in Lahore's transportation means. 

So while I was visiting Lahore in 2013, I took my son along to Gajju Matta, the commencement point of 27 kilometres long route of the Lahore Metro, to board the bus and see 'how it felt' travelling into it. And I have already shared my experience in one of my earlier posts: Lahore Metro Bus Riders  I am sharing some of the photos I shared in me earlier post of Lahore Metro herein under:

Lahore Metro bus at a bus stop

At Shahdara/Rive Ravi, the Metro bus shares 'combined' road with other traffic

While the buses moved unhindered and with no traffic at all in the secured lanes, guarded by iron fence for which it is also sarcastically called 'Jangla Bus Service' by some, the people not travelling in the bus were seen having a rough time on intersections due to cramped space as most of the road space has been allocated exclusively for the Metro buses. Now a similar project is being undertaken in Rawalpindi/Islamabad - where instead of 'Jangla' an elevated platform has been constructed costing billions of rupees for the exclusive use of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro. 

This is how Metro runs in Pakistan at a huge cost being paid by the tax payers of the country. In fact, the project has been undertaken for one route only at the expense of countless smaller projects in other parts of the province. But like most of the Pakistanis I also thought that perhaps this is how a modern transportation system works - till I visited Germany very recently.

In August last year, I went to Germany to visit my son who is studying in the Kiel University of Applied Sciences. And there I came to know how an efficient public transport system works - while using the existing road space with no exclusive lanes, corridors or overhead bridges.

Unlike most roads in the cities of Pakistan where there are usually more than two lanes for one way traffic, most roads and motorways in Germany, and even in Europe, are two lane roads. But despite their being only two lanes available for the traffic, the huge buses ply with much more ease than the 'exclusive and elaborate' arrangements as we see in Pakistan. The buses while use one of the lanes, the other lane is used by normal traffic - but the lane used by the buses is not bus-exclusive as normal traffic also uses the space as well. It is only near a bus stop that there is a bus exclusive right as it stops and takes/offloads passengers.

As can be seen above, the bus moves in a two-lane road along side the normal traffic

And the entire system is electronically manged, monitored and digital displays are at each bus stop to announce the arrival time of a particular bus number, as can be seen in the above photo. Not only this, on each bus stop, there are charts showing timings of the buses in three categories:

• One for Monday to Friday, when the buses ply in full strength as these are the five working days of the week. 
• The next column shows bus timings for Saturday with reduce number of buses as Saturday is closed holidays but markets are open. 
• The third column shows bus timings for the Sunday with leas buses as all markets are closed and there is very thin bus passengers.

Bus timings schedule available at each bus stop - showing bus timings for Monday-Friday, Saturday and Sunday

And as if this is not all. The bus time table is also available as an App for the mobile phones and one can know while sitting in one's home/office as to when a particular number bus is to arrive at the nearest bus station and instead of wasting time in standing at the bus stop,

Screen shot of my mobile phone showing bus timings/scheduling app

One thus leaves one's home/office at the eleventh hour and the bus arrives right on dot. However, in case of any unprecedented delay, the cause of delay is displayed digitally on the digital board as shown in the photo above.

As can be seen in these photos (above and below) that buses are efficiently plying on two lane-roads with no hindrance to the other form of traffic.

The photos above and below show a classic example of buses using a single lane road inside a living residential area while cars are parked on the car-exclusive parking area.

And when inside the bus, there etiquette as there are separate seats for old people right behind the driver's cabin so that they do not have to walk more to find a seat. Likewise there is s special entrance for women carrying baby carts and the bus tilts to the right at the bus stop to allow carting the cart inside the bus. 

Watch the video below which I made while sitting in two inter-connected buses bus and see for yourself with how much ease the buses moves along with other traffic. However, buses and cycles take precedence over vehicles and all vehicle drivers respect the right of the public transportation system. And do not be amazed to see that the bus is being driven by a female driver: something which come as a big surprise for the section of women who want equal right to be given to the women in our country.

Having seen and being on board buses in Lahore and Germany, here is a brief analysis:

Pakistan:

1. Unnecessary and colossal amount of money has been spent on exclusive roads/lanes and elevated platform for the buses rather than buying more buses and plying on more routes on existing roads
2. Despite availability of generally more than two-lanes on roads, additional infrastructure has been developed rather than using one lane for the buses
3. There is no management system using digital technology to control the buses and their timings
4. A highly subsidized one-ticket for the entire length of the route is enforced, while government pays a much larger sum to compensate for the actual costs
5. The system does not utilize the exiting wide roads of the city
6. Since the system is only one-tracked, there are no connecting buses available and the commuters have to then travel in ordinary mini-buses and Suzuki vans for continuing with their journey to the destination

Germany:

• The bus system is highly efficient and ensures in-time arrivals WITHOUT creating any additional infrastructure and by utilizing existing two-lane roads
• The system is completely digitized with instant timings being displayed at bus stops and there never is a delay despite using existing road network
• There are special seats reserved for the elderly/disabled and exclusive entrance for cart-wheeling baby carts and disabled people wheel chairs
• There is no subsidy on fare. However, special discounts are available on buying monthly, weekly, daily or even hourly tickets
• The usage of special App allows commuters to reach the bus stop minutes before the bus arrives
• The exclusive app also allows planning one's movement by using inter-connected buses
• The excellent inter-connectivity of the system allows getting on to the connecting bus to their destination
• Each bus has its own computer-based ticketing system and internet-connectivity to relay its present position - which helps in predicting its  ETA (expected time of arrival) on the next bus station
• Due to this efficient bus system, people leave their cars at home and prefer to travel in buses. This not only saves them from using cars that are uneconomical due to high fuel prices but also saving them for finding parking spaces which are difficult to find during office hours. And even if these are found, the parking fee is 10 times higher than the bus ticket
• The availability of cheap and efficient bus service thus keeps the city roads less crowded as people prefer to use the buses rather than using their own cars

I only wish our leaders who spend colossal amount of tax payers of money and waste away on projects using no intellect to also move around and see how efficiently such systems work around the world. In fact rather than building exclusive lanes and bridges, which cost much more than the buses, the same money could be spent on buying more buses and installing an efficient computer based management system to provide better services to people rather than wasting money on one route only.

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The Rickshaw Ads

Manufacturers spend millions every year to advertise their products through advertising agencies around the world. The advertising agencies use very innovative and pragmatic means to make a commercial  a video or a promo to attract the target audience and would be customers. And you and I know that most of these ads project fake and far from reality picture of the effects of the products in question. But we still fall into their trap and buy things that do not yield they way these have been advertised.

Although not credible as the expensive ads, there is yet another simple means to project and advertise one's products - the Rickshaw Ads.

Yes the Rickshaw Ads that are not only cheap, but also 'force' anyone following a rickshaw to read till he overtakes the rickshaw or the rickshaw turns in some other direction, much to the satisfaction and relief of the follower.

Such rickshaws can be found in abundance on our roads advertising cheaply, yet very effectively on behalf of their advertisers. The 'field and scope' of the rickshaw ads is very vast - think of any thing and you would find it on a rickshaw back more often than not. Whether it is a educational academy, men's tonic, a flour mill, a product, an election campaign or a hospital ad - it is all there right in front of you at the back of the rickshaw you are driving behind.

My Flicker friend Iqbal Tahir, who has a flare and eye for street photography has captured some of the advertising rickshaws and am sharing for the 'delight and pleasure' of my readers:

 

 During elections, the rickshaw backs can be used to campaign for the elections

And then the rickshaw backs can also be used to motivate people 'for free' to offer regular prayers for realization of worldly goals and Heavenly gifts

Photo Attribution: All photos above have been taken by Tahir Iqbal, who shares his unique and expressive street photography on Flickr and have been shared here after his exclusive permission.

These photos have also been shared at Jalalspages' Pakistan at Flcikr

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Aizhai Bridge China - World's Longest Suspension Bridge

China, though largely obscured from the world for its unique achievements in every field, has come up with some of the greatest marvels of architecture, making new records the world over.

The Aizhai Bridge, China: The world's largest suspension bridge

One such marvel is Aizhai Bridge in Hunan province is 336 m (1,102 ft.) high and has a 1,176 m (3,858 ft.) span - making it the world's highest and longest tunnel-to-tunnel suspension bridge. The structure is supported by a base 78ft wide.

The bridge connects two traffic tunnels in the mountains, cutting the time needed to traverse the canyon beyond it from 30 minutes to 1.

It has taken five years to construct this suspension bridge to ease traffic in the area mainly caused by its numerous narrow, steep roads. Pedestrians can walk along it on a special walkway and take in views of the Dehang Canyon.

The 336 metres high bridge is simply awesome and hair-raising

Drivers can take in the views of the Dehang Canyon as they steer their way across all 3,858ft of the new sky-high road which links two tunnels.

People and traffic stream across the Anzhaite Long-span Suspension Bridge during the opening ceremony.

Once on the bridge cars and lorries can motor along a two-way, four-lane motorway at about 50mph. Pedestrians can also walk along it on a special walkway under the road.

The bridge is a key part of the Jishou-Chadong Expressway, a 64-kilometre road which has 18 different tunnels which cover about half of its length. It is hoped the bridge will help ease traffic jams which are common in the mountainous area which has narrow, steep and winding roads.

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China also has the longest bridge in the world, the Danyang Kunshan Grand Bridge which is just over 100miles long and was built two years ago to carry the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway.

If you are visiting China, do visit these architectural marvels - besides going to see the Great Wall of China, which in itself is a great marvel of architectural wisdom of the ancient Chinese.

Photographs/references: Funzug

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Thames Olympic cable car to cost non-Londoners £5 for five-minute trip

Good news for Londoners and bad for the non-Londoners!!

Thames Olympic 'Emirates Air Line' cable Car seen against backdrop of famous London landmark Gherkin [Photo PA / Mail Online]

The Thames Olympic cable car, 'the Emirates Air Line, is likely to be opened to 'all' on 28th June - but with a clear distinction. While the Londoners will have a concessional fare, non-Londoners will have to pay hefty £5 for five-minute trip.

The Transport for London authorities also add that it will cost some spectators as much as £16 to buy tickets for the 1.1km river crossing on the £50m cable car. The frequent flyer ticket gives tourists 10 journeys at the cost of £16.

The Emirates Air Line will link between the 02 Arena in Greenwich and the ExCel exhibition centre, carrying 2,500 people an hour. The Emirates-sponsored transport will be the first urban cable car system of its kind in the UK.

So if you are going to London to watch the Olympic games, you certainly will be at a disadvantage as compared to the Londoners - but then you are a foriengenr. Aren't you?

Read more /see more photos: Mail Online

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Vendors and People on Wheels

Man started its journey on wheels and horse riding was replaced with stage coaches and carts driven by the beast of burden. The fast developing pace of technology replaced carts and horse drawn coaches with cars and trucks and trains and soon these horse drawn coaches and man driven wheel trollies became a rapidly fading past.

But while one may not come across carts and trollies driven by man and animal in the developed countries, these may be a common sight in the developing and under-developed countries, where people still use two wheelers for most of their daily chores and hand driven trollies to earn living by poor vendors.

Most countries in Asia still cling to these forms of travel and one more often than not comes across donkey driven carts, hand driven trollies, motorcycles  and rickshaws twittering by in the streets and roads, for a majority cannot afford the luxury of cars. And many still would prefer a cheap donkey driven cart to an expensive truck for shifting and carrying luggage.

Pakistan, too has all form of the wheels and vendors as talked about above and one can see these in abundance on our roads, side by side the glittering and flashing limousines. I am sharing photos of these forms and one can still find people contended with what they have and go about their business of life on wheels –the number of wheels though depends on the budget and the degree of affordability, though.

Motorcycles are the fastest growing and used mode of transportation. In cities and villages one can find these  two wheelers used for almost anything. Even milk sellers and vendors use these extensively for their business. There are some photos on the net where people are carrying goats and even monkeys on the motorcycles. The trend of underage youngsters is also on the increase and so is the menace of wheeling, which has taken lives of many and crippled others for life. One may often come across complete family moving on two wheels - accommodating two adults and many children as can be seen in one of the photos above.

Donkey carts are the cheapest available means of transportation, both in cities and villages. These provide  cheap alternative to expensive petrol / diesel driven pick-ups and trucks for transportation of lighter weights and smaller distances.In one of the photos that I saw on net, a rickshaw has been seen being transported on a donkey cart.

Cycles are the poor's Rolls Royce  completely independent of price hike of petrol. - although it requires every bit of bodily strength, which even the poorest and oldest can muster to move about.

Rickshaws came as a cheap alternative to Taxis many decades ago and Vespa rickshaws (above bottom left) became instant priority hired transport for a couple or three. But these are extremely noisy and pollutant since these are based on two-stroke technology. Recently four stroke rickshaws (above in yellow) with four stroke engine are not only environment friendly, less noisy but also comfortable to ride in. Use of motorcycles with indigenous carrier cabins (below right) has become popular as even poor can afford to get one made from their own motorcycles and earn their livelihood. These rickshaws have almost outsmart the horse driven tongas from cities.

Three-Four wheel trollies are favourites of poor vendors, requiring no fuel and means of pulling, except the owner's strength. One can find vendors selling vegetable, fruits, kulfi (an indigenous ice cream made of milk and sugar). 

This is the carriage of a horse / donkey driven cart

Photo Attribution: All the photos above have been shared with due courtesy of my Flicker friend Tahir Iqbal’s set of Lyallpur – West Punjab. Although all photos are taken from the streets of Lyallpur, now called Faisal Abad, these represent the overall transportation means of poor and middle class people of the entire country. Tahir Iqbal has extensive coverage of cities of Pakistan and has traced back history of few cities. I have already shared his photos in my earlier posts as under:  

Railway Signs we grew up with

On the streets where we live

Sikh era relics in Lahore Museum

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