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Inaugurated three years ago, Islamabad Metro Bus Service is still a far distant dream as legal and technical hitches have plagued the project.
The Rawalpindi Islamabad metro bus from Peshawar Mor to the new Islamabad airport is likely to face delays.
The 25.6 kilometre-long extension to the Islamabad Metro Bus project was approved in January 2017 to link the new Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) to the capital.
Work on the Rs16 billion metro bus extension project had commenced in April 2017 and it was slated to be completed by August 2017, in time for the inauguration of the new Islamabad International Airport, but was further extended to December 2017 and August 2018 while its last deadline was December 2018.
The project includes the construction of a dedicated, two-lane, signal-free corridor — 9.60-10.40 meter wide sections on the ground and in trenches and 22.50-23.70 meter at stations. Eight median stations along with the extended route have been built at every 3.2km.
Moreover, a three-lane carriageway with shoulders on either side of the metro corridor from the Golra Morr Interchange to the Grand Trunk Road Interchange are also its part to ensure the free flow of traffic and turnings along with the construction of flyovers and underpasses on existing roads and allied works.
However, the airport was inaugurated and formally started operating in May 2018 while the project to run the bus service between Islamabad’s Peshawar Morr and new Islamabad airport could not be made functional till date due to multiple legal and technical hitches.
According to the Nation, the CDA official told that the CDA lacks legal mandate and technical expertise to run the bus service.
“There is no provision for the civic agency to run a bus service in the CDA Ordinance 1960. We also lack expertise to oversee such a project. It needs a separate Authority as Punjab Mass Transit Authority or like the one in KPK which runs the BRT,” said a senior official of the CDA.
Meanwhile, the Federal Cabinet also approved the formation of Capital Mass Transit Authority (CMTA) and if it would be formed earlier then the project would directly be handed over to that authority instead of CDA.
The Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP) of the Ministry of Interior approved a PC-I prepared by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for operation, management and maintenance of the Metro Bus Service between Peshawar Mor and the Islamabad International Airport (IIA).
The proposed CMTA will be run by a 13-member board to be headed by the chairman CDA. Sources said until the authority is formed, the civic agency will continue efforts to procure buses for the service.
According to the proposed legislation, Capital Mass Transit Authority will own, control, maintain and develop a corridor, stations and depot, which are transferred to it. It will also plan, construct, operate and maintain the corridors for future expansion. The authority will also enter into contracts for its functioning.
The CDA will procure 30 buses to ply them on the metro track. It will also be responsible for the management and maintenance of the service.
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