RAWALPINDI: About 95 per cent work on the construction of the metro bus track in Islamabad has been completed but 35 per cent work is yet to be finished in the Rawalpindi section.

Talking to Dawn, chairman of the Metro Bus Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee Hanif Abbasi said the contractors had been asked to complete the project in Islamabad by February 10 but in the Rawalpindi section the work was likely to complete by the end of next month.

He said the Parks and Horticulture Authority had started developing greenbelts and installing furniture along the metro bus route which would be completed before the start of bus service.

He said a bus depot had been completed and 65 buses would arrive in the garrison city next week. “The buses have arrived in Karachi but there is a shortage of trolleys to transport them to Rawalpindi,” he said.

To a question about the delay in the completion of the metro project compared to Lahore where it took only 11 months, Mr Abbasi said “In the garrison city, the project is 40 per cent ahead of Lahore. “Our 11 months would be completed at the end of February,” he said.

“Three more components were added to the project after its launch - an underpass at Moti Mahal on Murree Road worth Rs300 million and another to connect F-8 with G-8 near 9th Avenue worth Rs400 million, Service Road worth Rs250 million and Command and Control Centre at Saddar worth Rs300 million.”

He said the work on these additions would also complete before the start of the metro bus service. “Though these projects were started in November, they are near completion.”

He said the re-carpeting of the Murree Road would also be completed before the launching of the bus service. “The re-carpeting of Murree Road has started at Shamsabad, Marrir Chowk and Faizabad,” he said.

However, he said four bus stations were yet to be constructed at Waris Khan, 6th Road, Committee Chowk and Chandni Chowk. “In Package-II of Rawalpindi from Committee Chowk to 6th Road, 18 girders are still to be laid on the pillars,” he said.

Published in Dawn January 31st, 2015

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