ISLAMABAD: The civic agency on Tuesday said Green Line and Blue Line metro bus services will start its operation in next 45 days under an interim arrangement.

Proper bus stations will be constructed in three-month time.

This was disclosed in a meeting held here at CDA headquarters. Besides CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed and board members, the meeting was also attended by PML-N leader and former MNA Hanif Abbasi and police high-ups of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Green Lines will run its service from Bhara Kahu to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Blue Lines from Gulberg to Faizabad.

During the meeting, the CDA informed the participants that both the services will start operation in next 45-days on existing roads in mix traffic.

The meeting was also told that out of total 30 buses, around 25 buses have reached Islamabad from China and remaining five which are parked in Karachi will also reach in coming days.

The CDA officials also told the meeting that National Logistic Cell (NLC) has already been engaged for construction of bus stations and hopefully within 90 days, they will complete the operation.

Sources said that meeting also discussed the proposed fare and participants were told that it was proposed that Rs 50 should be charged for Green Line and Blue Line Service while Rs 50 should be charged from Peshawar Mor to G.T. Road and Rs100 will be charged from G.T. Road to Airport.

However, final decision regarding fares will be made after approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who will be given presentation in coming days by CDA.

Currently CDA is plying free bus service from Peshawar Mor to Airport, as federal government has yet to make a decision on fare.

Within a week after taking over the government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated Peshawar Mor- Airport metro bus service in April.

This project was started in 2017 and was supposed to be completed in 2018. However, it saw considerable delay of three years.

The CDA, which had been waiting for 30 buses to be arrived from China but due to Covid-19 pandemic and closure of Shanghai port, buses arrival faced delay.

Therefore, the CDA started operation of Airport bus service through 15 borrowed buses from Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metro Bus Service.

Now, out of 30, 15 buses will be plied on Airport route

IJP road

The meeting was also briefed about ongoing widening and overhauling project of IJP road. The participants were briefed that CDA has decided that a four-kilometer portion of road from G.T. Road to Sabzi Mandi area will be completed by Aug 14 this year. Remaining work will also be completed well before its deadline of April next year.

A CDA official said that the said project worth Rs 4.9 billion was started in October 2021 and according to PC-I, its completion time is 18 month, however, the CDA is making effort to complete in December this year instead of April next year. Under this project, 9.8 kilometer IJP road is being overhauled and widened, while two flyovers, two bridges and seven culverts are also part of this project.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2022