Overcrowding forces bus route closure

RAWALPINDI:

The express route of the Rawalpindi Metro Bus service, which plies between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, has been closed to facilitate the increasing number of commuters on the normal route. The route earlier covered stoppage at seven designated bus stations.

Authorities said buses dedicated to the express route have been operationalised on normal routes for the convenience of passengers.

Some time ago, the Metro Bus service started operating the Express route from Saddar Rawalpindi to Pak Secretariat Islamabad. The buses stopped only at six to seven specific stations Chandni Chowk, Rahmanabad, Faizabad, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, to pick up and drop passengers to reach their destination.

There are reports the route has been shut down because of a financial crisis. However, an officer of the Punjab Masstranist Authority (PMA) told The Express Tribune that the decision had been taken to cope with an increasing number of passengers travelling through the normal route covering all bus stops was continuously increasing.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2024.