Peshawar Mor to NIIA: Govt urged to complete Metro Bus project
People of twin cities say the public service project should not be politicised
Metro bus. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
The extension of Metro Bus project from Peshawar Mor to New Islamabad International Airport is facing delay due to lack of interest by the current government, sources said.
Citizens say that projects of public interest should be non-political. Taxi drivers charge Rs500 to Rs1,000 from Rawalpindi Saddar to New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) and around Rs1,200 from Aabpara, Sector I-9 and Bhara Kahu till airport.
Commuters while talking to Daily Express said that there was immense need for modern public transport in the twin cities. The credit goes to PML-N for providing Metro Bus service, however, the present government should complete it all the way to New Islamabad International Airport instead of politicising it.
More than Rs4.5 billion have been allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme for projects of Communication Division in Islamabad. However, the pace of development of the Metro Bus project from Peshawar Mor to NIIA was very slow causing hardships to commuters of the twin cities.
According to the project details, the total length from Peshawar Mor till NIIA is 25 kilometres.
Metro Bus extension project on this route is based on four packages. The project will have nine bus stations including NHA station, G-10 station, Nust station, G-1 Station, G T Road station, Badana Kalan station, M-1-M2 Junction station and Airport Station. The project will have eight bridges, 14 underpasses and 28 culverts.
To ensure timely completion, the project has been divided in four packages including Package I from Peshawar Mor to NUST, Package II from NUST to GT Road, Package III from G T road to Motorway interchange and Package IV from Motorway Interchange to the new airport.
The length of package-I is 8 kilometres, length of package- II is 3.8 km, length of Package-III is 8.3 km while Package-IV has 5.5 km length.
At least 55 per cent work has been done on package one, while 30 per cent work has been done on package two, 20 per cent work has been done on package three and 70 per cent on package four.
The 25.6 kilometre-long extension to the Islamabad Metro Bus project, which had been approved in January to link the new Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) to the capital, had initially been slated to be built by August 14, 2017 — to coincide with the opening of the airport.
However, the project had to undergo some design changes and cost rationalisation. Along with delays to the airport, the project too saw delays and was later slated to be completed in August 2018.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2018.
The extension of Metro Bus project from Peshawar Mor to New Islamabad International Airport is facing delay due to lack of interest by the current government, sources said.
Citizens say that projects of public interest should be non-political. Taxi drivers charge Rs500 to Rs1,000 from Rawalpindi Saddar to New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) and around Rs1,200 from Aabpara, Sector I-9 and Bhara Kahu till airport.
Commuters while talking to Daily Express said that there was immense need for modern public transport in the twin cities. The credit goes to PML-N for providing Metro Bus service, however, the present government should complete it all the way to New Islamabad International Airport instead of politicising it.
More than Rs4.5 billion have been allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme for projects of Communication Division in Islamabad. However, the pace of development of the Metro Bus project from Peshawar Mor to NIIA was very slow causing hardships to commuters of the twin cities.
According to the project details, the total length from Peshawar Mor till NIIA is 25 kilometres.
Metro Bus extension project on this route is based on four packages. The project will have nine bus stations including NHA station, G-10 station, Nust station, G-1 Station, G T Road station, Badana Kalan station, M-1-M2 Junction station and Airport Station. The project will have eight bridges, 14 underpasses and 28 culverts.
To ensure timely completion, the project has been divided in four packages including Package I from Peshawar Mor to NUST, Package II from NUST to GT Road, Package III from G T road to Motorway interchange and Package IV from Motorway Interchange to the new airport.
The length of package-I is 8 kilometres, length of package- II is 3.8 km, length of Package-III is 8.3 km while Package-IV has 5.5 km length.
At least 55 per cent work has been done on package one, while 30 per cent work has been done on package two, 20 per cent work has been done on package three and 70 per cent on package four.
The 25.6 kilometre-long extension to the Islamabad Metro Bus project, which had been approved in January to link the new Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) to the capital, had initially been slated to be built by August 14, 2017 — to coincide with the opening of the airport.
However, the project had to undergo some design changes and cost rationalisation. Along with delays to the airport, the project too saw delays and was later slated to be completed in August 2018.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2018.