MULTAN: Four train coaches gifted by Pakistan Railways to south Punjab would soon be remodelled as restaurants-on-wheels to start serving food to people in a novel environment in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur cities.
Divisional Superintendent Railways Multan Hammad Hassan told APP that four coaches have arrived from Lahore under an initiative from Chairman Railways adding that two coaches were handed over to Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Multan and one each to PHAs of Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.
Director General PHA Multan Asif Rauf selected two sites to remodel the two coaches into restaurants-on-wheels including Goal Bagh near MM Alam road popularly known as the Brands Avenue and on a grassy slope at the foot of a mound supporting several monuments near the Clock Tower building in the heart of the city, said PHA spokesman Jalal.
The idea was to transform the coaches into restaurants or cafeterias to provide a recreational and dining space to citizens and to earn something for the PHAs to augment their resources for investment in turning the surroundings greener, another official said.
PHA Multan has decided to outsource the coaches to some experienced hoteliers who would remodel these as per the model prepared by PHA and operate the business after winning the bid. PHA Multan has formed a committee to outsource the proposed restaurant-on-wheels and an advertisement would appear in newspapers by January end.
Deputy director Marketing PHA Bahawalpur Rao Jazib Saeed said, a coach has also reached Bahawalpur and they were planning to remodel it into a coffee shop or cafeteria near the historical Fareed gate after it is outsourced to a private sector company. He said another coach has also been received by DG Khan PHA.
