Metro Bus to be plied on elevated track in Rawalpindi: Commissioner

[Salman]

Metro Bus to be plied on elevated track in Rawalpindi: Commissioner

Rawalpindi

Alleviating the speculations that Metro Bus Service would be run on service road from Chandni Chowk to Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, the Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed made it clear that the bus would ply on an elevated track from Saddar to Faizabad.

Zahid Saeed, who is also chairman of Coordination Committee of Metro Bus Service Project told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that there is no plan of running the bus on road in any part of Rawalpindi, whereas in Islamabad it will also ply on elevated track at some sections.

“The work on erection of pillars is moving on rapid pace and we are confident that it would be completed well in time,” he added.

Project Manager of Metro Bus Service Amir Chattha said that it would be elevated track from Saddar to Faizabad where buses would be run very soon. “Construction work regarding erection of pillars for the elevated track from Saddar to Faizabad is moving at rapid pace as the work is going on round the clock,” he claimed.

Asghar Abbasi, a contractor of the Metro Bus Service Project said that the size of pillars, which would be erected for the elevated track is 38-meter to 42-meter in height. “Pillars of different sizes would be erected for the elevated track,” he said. He also said that they are digging out road from Saddar to Faizabad.

On the other hand, Chief Traffic Officer (Rawalpindi) Shoaib Khurram said that all-out efforts are being made by the traffic police to regulate traffic in the city during the construction period of the Metro Bus Service Project. He, however, sought the cooperation of citizens and urged them to use alternate routes to avoid traffic mess. The CTO, in a statement, said besides enhanced number of traffic wardens, the officials who were performing duties in traffic headquarters, were also deployed on different routes particularly on Benazir Bhutto Road. “Four inspectors, 110 traffic wardens and 11 junior traffic wardens are in the field, who have been warned that negligence on their part would not be tolerated at any cost,” he said. He said a comprehensive traffic plan has been devised, but the cooperation of citizens is necessary to avoid a traffic mess, mainly on the Benazir Bhutto Road.

He advised the motorists to use Airport Road through Koral Chowk, and Peshawar Road through IJ Principal Road and Golra Morr, to reach Islamabad. The citizens can come to the city area through Rawal Road, Saidpur Road and IJ Principal Road, during the construction of Metro Bus project,” he added.

The route of the Metro Bus Service will start from the Flashman’s Hotel Chowk and will end at Pakistan Secretariat, covering a total distance of 23.2 km, passing through the Benazir Bhutto Road. From Faizabad in Rawalpindi, the bus will ply on the IJ Principal Road, on to the 9th Avenue and then the Jinnah Avenue and culminate near the Pakistan Secretariat. The track will also have 24 modern stations for the passengers. Of these, 10 will be on the Benazir Bhutto Road, while 14 will be in Islamabad. In Rawalpindi portion, bus will stop at Mareer Chowk, Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Chandni Chowk, Sixth Road, Rehmanabad, Sadiqabad, Double Road and Faizabad.