Metro Bus track to reach IIA by September
PHOTO: REUTERS
Residents of the twin cities are likely to enjoy an economical commute to the new Islamabad International Airport (IIA) with an extended track of the Metro Bus Service expected to start working by September.
“Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus track from Peshawar Mor to IIA will be operational by the end of August,” National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Sikander Qayyum told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly on Thursday.
Currently, people pay taxi fare amounting to more than Rs1,500 during the day and over Rs2,000 at night to reach the IIA. People working at IIA have to spend a substantial part of their salaries to travel to work and back.
Replying to a question from PAC member Riaz Fatyana, Qayyum said the project was initially handed to the Capital Development Authority (CDA). But later, it was handed over to the NHA.
Qayyum said that so far, around 97 per cent of construction work on the project has been completed and the remaining portion is expected to be completed by the end of the next month. Explaining the reasons for delays in completing the project, the NHA chairman said that the project had to be completed in February but the work had to be stopped after the government imposed a lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Further, the import of electronic equipment from China faced delays as all air and marine cargo services were put on hold to prevent the virus from spreading.
However, with a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases and improvement in the overall situation, the world was coming back to normal. Subsequently, all required electronic equipment was loaded onto a container-laden ship which set sail from China two days ago.
The communication secretary clarified to the committee that after finishing construction work, the project will be handed over to the planning division for further action as the NHA’s role was only to construct the project and not to run it.
To another question, he said after receiving complaints of overcharging at the restaurants at different stay areas located at Islamabad-Lahore Motorway, special teams were constituted to check the price and take action against those who were overcharging the people. In between Multan-Sukkur Motorway, the NHA chairman said fuel station was provided on the northern and southern side at Azam Pur and Och Sharif to facilitate the commuters.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 24th, 2020.