New Delhi: Officials of India and Pakistan on June 19 began talks to work out modalities on resumption of the Delhi-Lahore bus service after a gap of 18 months.

A three-member team of state-run Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) is discussing the nitty gritty with Indian officials, including those of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs and Surface Transport, besides civil and police officers of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

The issues to be worked out during the three-day stay of the Pakistani team include the fares, facilities, logistics and security measures, they said.

The two sides have already agreed on plying the bus twice a week on both sides.

Prior to the snapping of the service on December 31, 2001 as a fallout of the attack on Parliament by Pakistan-backed terrorists, each passenger was charged Rs 800 from this side and its equivalent (Pakistani) Rs 950 from the reverse side.

The issue of settlement of DTC's dues of about Rs 24 lakh may also come up for discussion.

DTC has decided to ply the same two golden-coloured buses that used to ply on the 538 km route earlier and is currently overhauling these to upgrade to international standards.

The service was launched with much fanfare on March 16, 1999 almost a month after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee undertook the historic bus trip to Lahore on February 19, 1999.

PTI