ISLAMABAD: Despite approval by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board in 2012, the city managers have failed to launch work on the establishment of the city’s fist bus terminal.

Last year, the Development Working Party (DWP) of the civic agency approved the PC-1 but still there is no progress on the project.

The CDA has already allotted 32 acres in I-11 for the bus terminal out of which four acres are reserved for commercial purposes.

“If there’s a will, there’s a way. We have commercial areas worth billions of rupees so there should be no justification for delaying the project due to shortage of funds,” said an official of the CDA.

In the absence of a proper terminal, makeshift bus stands have been set up on a private land in Faizabad.

Due to absence of a proper terminal, unauthorised bus stands are operating along IJP Road and in Pirwadhai

“Though we often conduct operations to remove bus stands from Faizabad, until we develop a proper facility we can’t remove these stands as there is no other facility in the capital,” said another official of the CDA.

Unavailability of a proper terminal has also been providing a chance for illegal bus stands to grow in the capital city. Illegal stands are operating along the IJP Road and in Pirwadhai also.

The official said for the last seven years the terminal project was lying pending because of negligence of the CDA. He said last year the DWP approved the PC-1 worth Rs1,372 million.

The DWP directed the CDA to hire a consultant for carrying out the feasibility study. Sources said it had been decided that instead of the CDA the project would be executed by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

The sources said MCI, which has not been given funds by the government, is paying salaries to its employees by taking loans from the CDA so it is difficult for it to start any development project.

According to the plan and design, the terminal will have three main halls which can accommodate around 35 buses and 25 coasters at a time. Moreover, 60 to 70 coaches and over 100 buses could simultaneously be parked inside the terminal. The design also lists separate points for entry and exit.

The terminal will have modern facilities, including a service station and a fuel pump.

When contacted, Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz told Dawn that the MCI was taking steps to start the project.

“It is our responsibility to develop the bus terminal. We are facing shortage of funds but exploring options to start the project.” He said MCI was mulling starting the project on a public-private partnership basis.

Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmad, who is also the CDA chairman, said the CDA was ready to extend help to the MCI to start the project.

“We are ready to sit together to explore options for the early start of the project as a proper bus terminal is need of the hour,” he said.

According to the master plan of the capital city, I-8 was reserved for a bus terminal. It was to include a railway station too.

However, in a controversial decision in 1990, the civic agency and the federal government altered the master plan and made I-8 a commercial sector.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2019