Metro Bus Service gets final nod from CDWP

[Salman]

Islamabad : The Islamabad Phase of Metro Bus Service Project on Thursday got a final nod from the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) of the government with certain conditions.

A meeting, chaired by Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal while approving the Rs18.1 billion PC-1 of the project, directed the concerned authorities to get the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Out of total cost of the project, the PC-1 envisages 1% for the environmental protection.

The meeting also directed officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Punjab Metro Bus Authority to ensure there is no violation of Islamabad’s master plan while carrying out the project and also ensure that no trees are cut down for expansion of roads like 9th Avenue and Jinnah Avenue for creation of corridor for buses.

Sources said that the Planning Commission asked the CDA to make a change in route of the project and use Fazal-e-Haq Road instead of Jinnah Avenue in order to facilitate the maximum number of commuters.

However, the Planning Commission was informed that the change in route was not possible due to technical reasons.

As per details of the project, the I J Principal Road, 9th Avenue and Jinnah Avenue would fall in 14-kilometre route of Metro Bus Project in Islamabad from Faizabad to the Pakistan Secretariat. There would be 14 stations.

As Thursday’s meeting has directed for maximum protection to the environment, some circles are concerned over degradation of Islamabad’s greenbelts due to expansion of roads.

Sources said the new corridor for Metro Bus Service would eat up 12 feet of greenbelts on both sides of avenues.