Moving advertisement: Pakistan Railways puts up stations, trains for branding

Rafique said branding could take place on trains’ seat covers, internal walls of passenger coaches and even toilets. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: 

In a bid to address the ailing deficit, Pakistan Railways (PR) will allow advertisers to use its stations and trains for branding purposes, said minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Rafique said three trains, including Tezgam, Khyber Mail and Awaam Express would be offered for branding on their seat covers, internal walls of passenger coaches and even toilets as a pilot project.

“The deficit would decrease by the end of the fiscal year and we’ve started work on this,” Rafique told a team of journalists, adding that railway stations in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi would also be included in the project.

The minister added that PR would be able to reduce its deficit despite an extra expenditure of Rs3 billion on paying pensions, salaries and increasing fuel prices.

He said the PR had earned Rs3.43 billion more than its earning in the previous corresponding period during the 200 days of the present government. All corrupt officers were sacked and were replaced, he added.

Meanwhile, Rafiq said that freight has been the most neglected sector and PR was doing everything it could to bring about an improvement in the area.

The minister said that the punctuality rate of trains had been raised up to 55 percent, acknowledging that there still existed room for improvement.

Rafique said a procedure had been developed to bar an officer from going abroad without permission of the technical committee, adding that several officers were asked to come back and face legal action.

He appreciated efforts at land retrieval and provision of security to trains. The minister said a request had been forwarded to the government for a raise in salaries of the PR police staff.

He also appealed to the court to take notice of one-sided stay orders by lower courts without hearing the stance of the PR.

The official added that the method to disburse pensions was being automated. Acting PR Chairperson Parveen Agha, General Manager Operation Anjum Pervaiz, IG Ibne Hussain, AGM Traffic Javaid Anwar, AGM Infrastructure M Khalid and AGM Mechanical Rana Abrar Anwar were also present.