ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to launch metro buses on 13 new routes in Islamabad in a bid to improve the public transport system of the federal capital.

This was stated by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb during a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday.

According to the information minister, new routes have been identified and they would be linked with the already operational metro bus routes. The information minister said that 123 new buses will ply these routes in phases and that the project would be executed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

According to a study by the CDA, the 13 routes are: route from Police Foundation/Orange Line Station to Red Line Faiz Ahmed Faiz Station I-8; Allama Iqbal Station to Red Line Potohar Station; PIMS to Secretariat; D-12 to G-10; F-11 to Red Line F-8 station; G-11 to PIMS; Aabpara to Tramri Chowk; Nilor to Khanna Pul; Pirwadahi Chowk to Faizabad; B-17 to 26 Number Chungi; and I-16 to 26 Number.

CDA in collaboration with private contractor to procure 150 buses for project

It is relevant to note here, the prime minister in August, while inaugurating the Green Line Metro bus service, had directed the CDA to expedite the intercity bus service. Sources in CDA said that the civic agency would launch the said bus service on 13 routes through a contract with a private bus company.

They said that in response to CDA’s tenders, two private companies – Faisal Movers and Daewoo submitted their bids and after opening technical bids, the CDA team was in the process of evaluating them. In the next week, financial bids would be opened.

Sources said that CDA had asked the private bus service to arrange a fleet of 150 buses as up to 128 buses would ply the new routes while the remaining vehicles will be at the disposal of the civic agency.

Sources said that after the opening of financial bids to decide per kilometer rate for the service, the CDA will give go-ahead to the winning company for the purchase of 150 buses. They said that buses would reach Islamabad in two phases as only 75 buses will arrive in the first phase.

An official of CDA said that the project could take three to four months, as whatever company will win the contract will need time to procure the buses from the international market.

New Sector after 20 years

Meanwhile, a ceremony to hand over possession letters to the Section 1-15 allottees could not be held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday. Sources said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to hand over possession letters to the allottees. It may be noted that the said sector is being developed after long 20 years.

The CDA had launched sector D-12 at the start of this century.

The CDA officials said that the ceremony would be held in the next few days. The officials said that development work in two sub-sectors has been completed while in the remaining two, the work was underway and would be completed during this fiscal year. The sector has a total of 10,290 residential plots.

“Some months ago, there were 1500 plots ready, now there are 5500 and by December there would be nearly 9500 plots ready for possession,” said an official of CDA. This sector was launched in 2005 to provide housing to low-income groups but remained stalled for years. The development work in the sector finally started a year ago.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2022