Pakistan, China to launch CPEC bus service on Nov 13th to boost ‘friendship'

Islamabad, Oct 30: In an effort to boost their 'friendship', a new bus service will be launched between Pakistan and China under the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The aim of the luxurious bus service is to facilitate easier travel between the two neighbours, reports said.

The $50 billion CPEC, launched in 2015, is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea.

The luxury bus service to be started by a private transport company will be officially launched on November 13 and will be operational between Lahore in Pakistan to Kashgar in China, the state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

The 30-hour journey between the two destinations will cost Rs 13,000 while the return ticket will be for Rs 23,000. The bookings have already begun, it said.

The bus service will further boost the friendly relations between Pakistan and China, according to the CEO of the company Muhammad Anwar.

The departure from Lahore would be on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday while a departure from Tashkurgan would be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, The News reported.

The passengers can book their seats either from Lahore or Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

(with PTI inputs)