China and Pakistan to start bus service from Xinjiang to Gwador Port under CPEC; route to be launched on 13 Nov

Islamabad: A new bus service will be launched between Pakistan and China under the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project to facilitate easier travel between the two countries, according to media reports. 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. [caption id=“attachment_3969729” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The luxury bus service to be started by a private transport company will be officially launched on 13 November 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. Anyone with a valid Chinese visa of China and other identity documents can buy a ticket. China and Pakistan have land route link used for trade and travel but it will be the first high-end direct bus service between the two countries, according to the officials. The bus service will run four days a week from Lahore to Tashkurgan, another media report said. 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. “It offers premium and luxurious buses, comfortable journey, better en-route services that include breakfast, lunch, dinner refreshment beverages, tea, and snacks, while fast Wi-Fi service would also be provided throughout the journey,” the report said.