Tuesday, January 24 2006 12:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Amritsar: In a bid to further enhance the people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan, the first bus from here to Lahore left with 40 passengers.

The bus left Amritsar at 10:05 am today (Jan 24, 2006), an hour behind schedule.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal flagged off the bus from the international bus terminal here.

The Amritsar-Lahore bus service would be rediscovery of an emotional connection between the 'twin' cities and is of great significance as thousands of families in both countries were separated by 1947 partition.

The Indian Bus of Punjab Roadways, named Punj-Aab (after the five rivers) had conducted trail run on December 11 and Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation had undertaken its trial run from Lahore on December 13 last year.

Prominent government officials who are travelling by the 45-seater luxury Volvo bus, which would return from Pakistan tomorrow, include Punjab Transport Minister Mohinder Singh Kapyee, Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister Sardool Singh, Deputy Speaker of Punjab State Assembly Darbari Lal, Transport Secretary A K Talwar, Director Transport Narinderjit Singh and State Transport Commissioner Iqbal Singh Sidhu.

Earlier on January 20, the first bus from Lahore to Amritsar had arrived here carrying 26 passengers and returned with 15 Pakistani officials besides the driver and a liaison officer.

The one-way fare of the bus is Rs 700 in Indian currency, Rs 900 from Pakistan side in Pakistan currency.

Children between 2 to 12 years will be charged while those below 2 years would be to ride free of cost.

The Indian bus from Amritsar to Lahore will ply every Tuesday and return on Wednesday whereas the Pakistani bus will ply from Lahore to Amritsar every Friday and return on Saturday.

The buses being operated have been insured with National Insurance Company Ltd of Pakistan and the Oriental Insurance Company Limited of India as the case may be, against passengers, third party and comprehensive loss to be valid for both countries.