PREPARATIONS TO INAUGURATE METRO BUS SERVICE UNDERWAY

[Salman]

Islamabad—Preparations to inaugurate state-of- the-art metro bus service are in full swing to provide a better, cheaper and safer transport service to the people of twin cities.

Capital Development Authority (CDA), Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and other relevant departments are busy in making arrangements for the inauguration of the bus service this month.

Modern facilities would be provided, such as car parking and providing tickets to passengers, while air-conditioned sitting arrangements had also been made for passengers.

The Metro Bus Service would be monitored by a Central Control System.

The Metro Bus Service track starts from Flashman’s Hotel Chowk on Murree Road and ends at Pak Secretariat, covering a total distance of about 23 kilometer.

As many as 64 buses would ply on the metro bus route between the twin cities, while a total of 24 modern bus stations have been built on the track. Out of the total 10 are in Rawalpindi’s Murree Road while the remaining 14 are in Islamabad.

The buses starting from Flashman’s Hotel on Mall Road in Rawalpindi will follow Murree Road up to Faizabad and then turn left into the federal territory and follow IJP Road up to 9th Avenue.

Then, it will turn right and follow the 9th Avenue, thereafter, it will turn right on Jinnah Avenue up to the end of Blue Area.

From Blue Area a connection to Pak Secretariat stop will be provided through the open space behind old Parade Avenue. It will then cross the Constitution Avenue and another couple of main roads through underpasses.

The bus stations for Rawalpindi include Saddar (Flashman’ Hotel), Marir Chowk, Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk, Waris Khan, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rehmanabad, Sixth Road, Shamsabad and Faizabad.

While the bus stations in Islamabad include IJP Road, Potohar Road, Khayban-e-Johar, Faiz Ahmed Faiz Road, Kashmir Highway, Chaman Road, Ibn-e-Sina Road, Katchery Chowk, Islamabad Stock Exchange, Seventh Avenue, Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Parade Ground and Secretariat Stop.

One of the biggest interchanges would be constructed at Peshawar Mor Islamabad. The roads along the Metro Bus Service had also been widened to ensure smooth flow of the traffic.

All the buses would be air-conditioned having the facility of enough security. Special seats would be allocated for women.

The bus would facilitate school and college students, office and hospital goers, and traders community. The service would not only save time of the passengers but also save energy.

An official of Capital Development Authority (CDA) told APP that arrangements to start the bus service are in full swing.

He said the CDA chairman had assigned Sports and Culture and Directorate to look in to arrangements at Islamabad Stock Exchange Station. The CDA and RDA are also busy in the beautification of bus stations.

The multi-billion mass transit project, estimated to cater to thousands of passengers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad was started in March last year.

The project was purely planned for the poor people and such successful project has already been launched in Lahore. An estimated 153,000 commuters would shuttle daily on the Metro Bus.