Court orders removal of illegal bus terminals

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday ordered the city managers and administration to remove illegal bus stands and submit a detailed report in two week.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed Islamabad Transport Authority (ITA) secretary and Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials to demolish illegal bus terminals operating in the city.

Interestingly, the court issued the order while hearing a contempt petition filed by a private transport company, Bilal Travel, seeking contempt proceedings against the CDA and ICT for demolishing its bus terminal along IJP road.

The petitioner’s counsel maintained that the officers demolished the bus terminal last month despite a stay order granted by a lower court.

An ICT assistant commissioner informed the court that the bus stand was operating illegally. The court vacated the stay and asked the officials to take action against all illegal bus terminals.

Illegal bus terminals

An official in the ICT administration, requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune that a total of 15 bus terminals are operating in capital out of which 11 are illegal. The official said most of them are located along IJP set up on encroached land. “It is the responsibility of CDA to remove the encroachers” he added.

The official said terminal owners bribe CDA officers and encroach land. Now action would be taken against them.

Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sherdil promised that they will remove illegal bus terminals. He said that ITA secretary is preparing a comprehensive report. Sherdil said that the administration would start a new process for issuing licence for bus terminal. “We will also request CDA to look into the matter because CDA gives lease for setting up a bus terminal and the owners later occupy extra land” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.