September 12, 2003	Friday	Rajab 14, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: Islamabad Transport Authority (ITA) is likely to launch environment-friendly bus services in the capital in collaboration with private firms, a source in the ITA told Dawn on Thursday.

The source said about 50 CNG-fitted buses would be plied on different routes within the territorial limits of the capital. The owners of the interested firms will give a briefing to the ITA officials next week to formulate terms and conditions in this regard.

The source said the owners of these firms wanted to launch franchise bus services so that no other transport vehicle could ply on the allotted routes.

However, the transporters already in the field have resisted their plan.

An ITA official told Dawn that to meet the demands of the old transporters and the new comers, the Authority was considering to allow both the groups to ply their vehicles on all routes.

“This will create an environment of competition thus ensuring standard bus services in the capital,” the official added.

The official said the new firms would have an edge on the transporters already in the field on account of the CNG-fitted vehicles forcing the latter to improve their services.

He said the Authority had asked the owners of the ramshackle vehicles to replace their vehicles by September 30 and added that they had agreed to include new vehicles in their fleets.