Fuel cost hits Lahore Metro service; private firm says bus operations to be suspended from 11th

The private firm operating Lahore Metro Bus on the Gajjumata-Shahdra route has decided to suspend its operations from August 11th, following failed talks with the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA) over rising fuel costs. The company has served a final notice to the PMA, which it terms as an attempt to blackmail and pressure the government into accepting its demands.

The PMA, however, has called the move "blackmail," vowing to challenge the court order against it. The company argues that it has exhausted its financial resources and is unable to continue operations. The PMA, on the other hand, stated that it cannot take any decision without directions from the government and that it has proposed a solution.

However, the company claims no solution was communicated. The company's senior official explained that the company's fuel costs have increased due to frequent hikes in fuel prices, while the PMA's payment for fuel has only slightly increased, leaving a large gap. The Lahore Metro Bus Service, inaugurated in February 2013, runs on a 27-km route from Gajjumata to Shahdara.