Diplomatic Enclave: Shuttle service ‘illegal’

ISLAMABAD: The diplomatic shuttle service, being operated by a private transporter without the approval of Islamabad Transport Authority (ITA), is fleecing visitors who go to the foreign missions in the Diplomatic Enclave.

Visitors have to pay exorbitant fare as no other transport is allowed to enter the area for security reasons.

ITA ordered an inquiry to know the facts about the controversial deal between the transporter and Capital Development Authority (CDA), but the latter refused to present full details before the ITA committee.

ITA Secretary Aasia Gul, who heads the probe committee, told The Express Tribune that the diplomatic shuttle service was being operated illegally because it did not have ITA approval.

She said, “It is necessary to get ITA’s approval before introducing a transport service in the jurisdiction of the capital territory. But CDA did not do that.”

Another official of ITA told The Express Tribune that CDA was not cooperating with the probe committee.

He said that Ghulam Sarwar Sindhu, Deputy Director General Planning Directorate of CDA, appeared before the committee and said that ITA had no power to investigate this matter.

“It is entirely an internal issue of CDA,” Sindhu asserted. “We are running this shuttle service under Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) system so ITA can not question the deal.”

Sources in Islamabad administration said that the probe committee found irregularities in the affairs of the transport shuttle service.

The probe committee’s finding revealed that the contract had been awarded without open bidding, as necessitated by CDA rules. The company that was awarded the project is owned by Muhammad Hussain. “The owner of the shuttle service is charging the visitors at will and charges even for the traveller’s hand luggage as ‘shuttle service tax’,” a report compiled by the committee revealed. Similarly parking fee and prices of refreshment items were exorbitant.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Pirzada told The Express Tribune that he would direct Secretary Transport to expedite the inquiry in this matter. He said there was no ambiguity regarding jurisdiction of ITA and CDA because each and every rule is available in written form.

Sindhu, when contacted, said that ITA had no power to ask CDA for its deal with the shuttle service owner. Responding to a query, he said that it was necessary to take permission for a bus stand but this shuttle service issue was an internal matter of the authority.

Responding to another question, Sindhu admitted that Secretary Transport had the power to hold the inquiry into the whole matter. “But I told her that CDA has provided a piece of land to the contractor under Build Operate and Transfer system.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2010.