ISLAMABAD - The citizens of Islamabad will have to wait for another year to use metro bus service from Peshawar Morr to New International Islamabad Airport as the National Highway Authority (NHA) have yet to hand over the project to the operating agency.
The project is facing continuous delays since August 2017, which was initially slated as its inauguration date by the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). When contacted, the concerned Project Director NHA Javed Bijrani informed that we are preparing inventory of the project to formally handover it to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) that will run the project.
He, however, could not give a certain deadline that when the project would be formally handed over to the operating agency. He said that the work on project is almost completed and we are trying to handover it to CDA as earliest.
On the other side, Project Director Metro Bus CDA Qazi Umar informed that we did not receive any formal request to take over the project so far.
“About three months ago, NHA asked us to take over the project and in response we had demanded the completed inventory of the project,” he said, adding: “We are waiting for that inventory after which we would be able to take over the project by cross checking the fixtures.”
When asked for a timeline to operationalise the project by CDA once it will be handed over by NHA, Mr. Qazi informed that we have already got approval of the PC-I for this project that has provided eight months time.
He informed further that according to approved PC-I, we will outsource the operation of metro to two contractors. One will run the buses while the other one will look after the IT system, ticketing system and the command and control of bus stations.
Meanwhile, the Federal Cabinet also approved the formation of Capital Mass Transit Authority (CMTA) and if it would be formed earlier then the project would directly be handed over to that authority instead of CDA.
The 25.6 kilometre-long extension to the Islamabad Metro Bus project was approved in January 2017 to link the new Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) to the capital. The project was to be completed in August 2017 but was further extended to December 2017 and August 2018 while its last deadline was December 2018. The project includes the construction of a dedicated, two-lane, signal-free corridor — 9.60-10.40 meter wide sections on the ground and in trenches and 22.50-23.70 meter at stations.
Moreover, a three-lane carriageway with shoulders on either side of the metro corridor from the Golra Morr Interchange to the Grand Trunk Road Interchange are also its part to ensure the free flow of traffic and turnings along with the construction of flyovers and underpasses on existing roads and allied works.
