Punjab

All aboard: ‘Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus almost complete’

CM chairs meeting of the Punjab Metro Bus Authority.

Our Correspondent March 11, 2015

The chief minister said the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project was nearing completion. PHOTO: INP

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the government was implementing a revolutionary programme to enable the provision of state-of-the-art, safe and reasonably-priced transportation facilities to the public.

He was chairing the 6th meeting of the Punjab Metro Bus Authority. Sharif said effective measures had been taken to revamp the transport system. He said the Lahore Metro Bus Project had been benefitting 1.5 million people daily. The chief minister said the project had given the city a new identity. Sharif said measures taken to revamp the transport system had been yielding positive results.

The chief minister said the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project was nearing completion. He said 68 buses would ply the route of the project. Sharif said the project would enable the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to travel in a speedy and cost-efficient manner.

Sharif said an initial plan for the establishment of a similar project in Faisalabad had been formulated.

The chief minister said the foundation stone for the Multan Metro Bus Project would be laid soon.

The Punjab Metro Bus Authority managing director briefed those present on matters related to the authority. The Rawalpindi commissioner informed those present about the progress of work on the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project. It was decided to change the authority’s name to the Punjab Mass Transit Authority on the occasion. The contract for maintaining cleanliness at the project was given to the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company.

It was decided that the Punjab Metro Bus Authority would have the responsibility of managing the operations and maintain the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project. A proposal regarding the operation of feeder routes on the route of the Lahore Metro Bus Project was also approved on the occasion.

Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project Chairman Hanif Abbasi, MNAs Waheed Alam Khan and Malik Ibrar Ahmad, MPA Ramazan Siddique Bhatti were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (6)

Atif | 9 years ago | Reply The whole world is moving towards a rapid train inter city transit system and we are implementing an obsolete exclusive-route bus service. The concept of the intercity transit system is the need of the hour; however, the way the system has been implemented is favoring business concerns of one particular political party (PML-N) only.

Asad | 9 years ago | Reply I am appalled at the stupidity of people appreciating metro by citing the wagons of Pindi/Islamabad. To those idiots: "Metro is only plying at ONE route from Sadr to Secretariat". IT WILL NOT SOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS OF THE CITY, all other routes especially the MAJOR from Airport to Highway to Islamabad have been ignored. If the government really wanted to solve the transportation problems of the city, they would've plied buses on all routes. They just plied metro for Poster purposes and bcz bulding metro would mean that they will sell more Saria (ittefaq steel mills) and cement (mian mansha).

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Farooq | 9 years ago | Reply @AJamal: meri dua hai k tumhara zayada say zayada safor pindi ki wagons per ho, shaid aisy he tumhay aqal aye

Mozaffar U. Ahmad | 9 years ago | Reply I am eagerly waiting for the Islamabad Rawalpindi Metro Bus Service to start operation. For decades I have been commuting using the wagon services which is certainly so disgusting and irreliable. These wagons are always loaded like tight compartments, sometimes hardly leaving space for breathing normally. One is always at risk of being humiliated at the hand of the illiterate conductor or the driver. Querling and heated arguments over the fare and bypassing the mandatory route are common experiences faced by the commuters in the wagons. Insha Allah, soon we shall be commuting through a standardised BRTS using the boulevards ( 7th Avenue and Jinnah Avenue built during Musharraf regime without any feeling about Pedestrians' rights of crossing) which were dedicated mostly for the elite class to whisk away their shiny cars. We must appreciate whatever is done for the facilitation of the public. Hopefully, Islamabad Rawalpindi Metro Bus Service will be ever successful and happy experience for the public. It may be anticipated that the government will also prioritise her efforts to maximise the national education and public health facilities.

ramz | 9 years ago | Reply Welldone PMLN Multan Faisalabad also need them

AJamal | 9 years ago | Reply Definitely metro bus projects all over Punjab are far more important than the health facilities, schools for 50 millions out of school kids and local governments. You can see the buses plying!!

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