CDA still to execute bus stand project

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Transporters Association has expressed serious concern over the Capital Development Authority’s non-shifting of bus terminals to the allocated space in I11/4.
The CDA approved a project in 2011 for construction of bus stands in I11/4 and auctioning them for shifting of bus terminals working in various localities of the capital, including Faiz Abad, G9 Markaz Karachi Company and Pir Wadhai. About 164 kanals of land was allocated for this purpose. It is noteworthy that the Islamabad High Court had recently ordered removal of all the illegal bus stands from the capital territory.
Regional Transport Authority Secretary Lubna Riaz has said that the authority would evolve a strategy for operation against illegal bus stands after receiving the court orders in this regard. Meanwhile, Islamabad Transporters and Passengers Welfare Association President Irfan Khan Niazi has said that they had been sending reminders to the civic agency for shifting of bus stands. He said that in 2002, the CDA and Islamabad Traffic Authority (ITA) submitted a compliance letter in the High Court of Rawalpindi Bench for resolving the issue of bus stands with consultation of transporters within two months.
Niazi said that in 2003, CDA board approved a plan for temporarily bus stand in I11/4. According to the plan, the transporters had to bear the expenditures of constructions while the District Management Authority (DMA) was responsible for ensuring basic facilities, including drainage system, water supply, security, etc.
Niazi said that in January 2013 the plan was changed by the authority and it decided to construct the bus stands there itself for auction, but it was also not implemented. He said that the association sent its last reminder to the civic agency on January 30, 2013 for execution of this project but the authority was still unable to take practical steps in this regard. He demanded the authority resolve the issue while protecting their business as a number of people were associated with this.
Niazi said that only three bus stands in the capital have no-objection certificates (NOC). There was a contradiction between the reports of CDA and Regional Transport Authority (ITA) regarding the legality of the many bus stands in federal capital, he claimed.