The word ‘double-decker’ reminds me of my early childhood days in Lahore. In the 1950s, I used to travel on these buses from the Lahore railway station to the Samanabad neighbourhood. At that time this was the only mode of public transport in Lahore, other than tongas. In the mid 1960s, with the introduction of taxis and privately run van services, these buses gradually vanished from the scene.
A few years ago, some of these buses were seen running between Islamabad and Rawalpindi. But the government could not afford running in losses, and this service was stopped. Now, only two to three such buses can be seen being used as tourist buses in and around Islamabad. Such open-top buses are quite popular in London among tourists. I am sure we can also use these buses to promote tourism.
Cdre (r) Sajjad Ali Shah Bokhari
Islamabad
