Commuters demand Blue Bus’ route extension

Say transport facility should reach areas located within 30km of downtown

ISLAMABAD:

Several daily commuters residing in different housing societies located near the Islamabad Expressway Sunday demanded an extension in the route covered by Blue Metro Bus Service up to the PWD interchange as a huge chunk of road widening and construction work had been completed on one of the busiest arteries of the twin cities.

The residents of Korang, Pakistan, Jinnah Garden, PWD, Soan, and other adjacent societies said the authorities had unveiled the blue bus service route plan from Rawat but deferred it due to the condition of the road and the subsequent construction and expansion work from Korang Bridge to Rawat. But now that the road widening work has been completed in this area, a considerable number of daily commuters should also be facilitated by the bus service.

The mass transport facility should also reach the periphery of outer areas located within 30km of the main downtown, they opined. Their demand coincides with the Capital Development Authority’s decision to roll out 160 electric buses on 13 different routes in the capital city.

Haji Abdul Qadoos, a trader in PWD, said that the introduction of blue bus service on the Expressway was a significant initiative to provide much-needed transport facilities to the masses, but after the completion of hassle-free traffic movement on the newly constructed multi-lane road from Korang Bridge to Naval Anchorage Housing Society, its route should be immediately expanded to PWD interchange.

As the extensive work on the laying of new road lanes has been completed up to the PWD interchange with smooth and rapid vehicular traffic, the route of Blue Bus service should be extended to the PWD interchange to facilitate a large number of commuters, students, and office-going people, Raziq Ali Shah, a senior journalist and resident of Jinnah Garden, asserted.

Shaheena Jabeen and Humaira, two working women and residents of Korang town, opined that they conveniently moved to their workplaces located in the Blue Area regularly by boarding the Blue buses, but for reaching the Koral bus stand to catch the service, they still faced the issue of moving from the entrance of the society on the highway to the designated Blue bus stop via private vehicles. "Traversing a distance from the PWD interchange to Koral by a private-public vehicle is too difficult," Humaira added.

Several residents, including an elderly Ahmed Ghulam, suggested that alternatively, the blue bus route should also be linked by the creation of additional passages for electric buses, as announced by CDA, from different residential and commercial areas of these sprawling residential areas.

“It is observed that Blue Bus service caters to the transportation needs of the residents of the Capital up to Gulberg Greens, and afterwards, commuters are facing the same old issues of moving through public transport,” Jameel Babar, owner of an architect company in the Capital Enclave housing society, shared.

They were of the view that the number of blue buses should also be multiplied considering the growing number of commuters who are huddled beyond capacity in each moving vehicle, particularly during peak hours, besides extending the service hours late at night.

The authorities should also consider enhancing the Blue Bus service schedule during the night to facilitate those people who usually work late in different offices and places in Islamabad.

With the onset of the winter season, finding private vehicles became problematic, which also caused a waste of time and proved costly too, Dr Musawar, an employee of a private hospital, demanded.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2023.