Ternary heavy metal oxide glasses in the $PbO-Bi_2O_3-Ga_2O_3$ system doped with $Er_2O_3$ were prepared and their spectroscopic properties, such as radiative transition probability, calculated and measured radiative lifetimes and cross-sections of 1.5 $mu extrm{m}$ and 2.7 $mu extrm{m}$ emissions were analyzed. Enhanced quantum efficiencies of some electronic transitions were evident mainly because of the low vibrational phonon energy ($~500cm^{-1}$) inherent in the host glasses. This seems to be the main reason for obtaining the 2.7 $mu extrm{m}$ luminescence which is normally quenched in the conventional oxide glasses. In addition, green and red fluorescence emissions were observed through the frequency upconversion processes of the 798 nm excitation. Non-radiative transition due to the multiphonon relaxation is a dominant lifetime-shortening mechanism in the 4f-4f transitions in $Er^{3+}$ ion except for the $^4S_{3/2}{ ightarrow}^4I_{15/2}$ transition where a non-radiative transfer to band-gap excitation of the host glasses is dominant. Melting of glasses under an inert gas atmosphere and (or) addition of the typical glass-network former into glasses is necessary in order to enhance the quantum efficiency of the transition.