Public hearing on Metro Bus Project

[Salman]

Rawalpindi—The City District Government (CDGR) will hold a public hearing on Metro Bus Project on March 28 to seek suggestions and look into reservations, if any, about the much-awaited mass transit scheme.

Officials of departments concerned will attend the forum to be held at Liaquat Memorial Hall, to respond to queries and prepare a report accordingly for onward submission to the Punjab government, sources in the district administration told APP Tuesday.

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has awarded multi-billion contracts to three successful bidders, including National Logistics Cell (NLC), ZKB and Lemark-Reliable for constructing an elevated track, consisting of 10 bus stops, from Flashman Chowk to Faizabad.

The process of pre-qualification for firms for Islamabad section of the project would start soon, the sources said.

Chairman Coordination Committee on Metro Bus Service Project and Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed has already directed the city traffic police and civic bodies to prepare their alternate plans for smooth execution of the plan.

The Metro Bus will make stopovers at 10 points, including Flashman, Mareer, Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk, Waris Khan, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rehmanabad, Sixth Road, Shamsabad and Faizabad.

The project, the sources said, would facilitate around 150,000 commuters travelling by public transport daily as initially around 60 air-conditioned buses would ply on the Rawalpindi-Islamabad route.