Even as the authorities mull reopening the bus service which connects the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi amidst the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, a plan has been devised to start buses on an extended route of the service, which will connect the federal capital to the new Islamabad International Airport.
Officials at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said that in line with directions from the government, they have devised a project concept-I (PC-I) to start the bus service on an extended track of the metro bus in Islamabad from Peshawar Morr to the Islamabad International Airport (IIA).
A meeting in this regard was held at the CDA headquarters and was presided by the authority chairman and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Chief Commissioner Aamer Ali Ahmed. Officials of the ICT administration, along with other officials attended the meeting and evaluated the PC-I. They decided to approve it and submit it to the federal government for final approval and to release money for the project.
The PC-I includes plans to acquire buses which will play on the route, information technology (IT) services, security and surveillance, AFC system acquisition, construction of allied infrastructure such as a Command and Control Centre.
The task of operating the service on the extended section and maintenance of the service is likely to be outsourced through four different service contracts.
The plan notes that the CDA will act as implementing agency for the project until the Capital Mass Transit Authority (CMTA) is established. Once operational, the authority will take over operations of the metro bus service.
Moreover, it suggested that 30 new, electric-powered, air-conditioned buses will play on the dedicated corridor from Peshawar Morr to the new IIA per a fixed schedule.
Work on the Rs16.43 billion metro bus extension project had commenced in April 2017 and was slated to be completed in a few months by August 2017, in time for the inauguration of the new airport. Like the inauguration date of the airport, the completion date of the 25.6-kilometre-long project was also pushed back. While the airport was inaugurated and formally started operating in May 2018, the extension project ran into snags.
In January 2020, while submitting a reply in the National Assembly, the federal communications ministry had stated that 90% of work on the nearly three-year-old project has been completed.
Further, the ministry had promised that it will be completed in the ongoing fiscal year 2019-20. The ministry had assured the house that the project will not run into cost overruns due to the inordinate delay it has faced, rather it will be completed for Rs14.44 billion and some savings. The project is currently being constructed by National Highway Authority (NHA) which will build eight median stations along with the extended the route - or at every 3.2km.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2020.
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