Metro Bus Authority sidelines CDA

[Salman]

It seems like that Metro Bus Authority (MBA) has sidelined its federal associate by unilaterally signing a series of services agreements with private firms.

Recently, MBA has signed three different service agreements related to Islamabad section of twin cities Metro Bus Project that includes automatic fair collection system, security and surveillance system and metro buses operations with three different private firms.

Firm named Inbox has signed 500 million per annum fair collection system contract of the project. The firm interactive has been given contract of security and surveillance system. The MBA will be paying the firm Rs 250 million per annum for this service. Similarly, another contract of buses operation was given to a Turkish firm that is already engaged at Lahore metro bus project.

However, neither the government nor the CDA officials have any idea when these contracts were awarded and which process was adopted to give contracts to private contractors.