RAWALPINDI: City planners have begun a survey of the city in order to introduce a new public transport system in the urban areas and reduce traffic on main roads.

A senior district administration official told Dawn that the provincial government had asked divisional and deputy commissioners to begin work to introduce better transport services in the urban areas of their respective districts.

In response, he said, the divisional commissioner asked the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to begin a survey of all the city’s routes and replace vans and pickups with modern buses by inviting investors.

A new transport service will be launched in the cantonment areas as well, he said, adding that the new system will first be launched on main roads and will gradually expand to smaller routes.

The RTA has already banned vans and pickups from operating on Murree Road between Liaquat Bagh and Chandni Chowk, he said. Buses will run on all the routes other than Murree Road.

When contacted, Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood confirmed that work on the new public transport system has begun.

He said they would bring in transporters who would run buses on all the routes instead of vans and pickups.

He said the large number of vans and pickups operating on city roads had led to traffic and was creating problems for road users.

Mr Mehmood added that the government wants to bring a public transport system that students, women and the elderly can use without problems. He said that buses would have ample seating for women, whereas seats for them are currently limited on public transport.

He said the new public transport system would also extend to the cantonment areas, as the population is increasing and a better and more reasonable service is needed.

He said the administration recently allocated two new routes for the Islamabad International Airport from Rawat and from Koral Chowk. Buses will run on these routes, for which transporters have been invited.

At present, more than 5,000 pickups are operating on 32 city routes while 2,500 vans are running on eight routes. The government is planning to introduce new routes as the urban areas have been extended from 46 union councils to 70.

But Twin Cities Transporters Association Chairman Raja Riaz told Dawn it would not be possible to replace pickups and vans with buses because buses could not drive through narrow streets.

He added that transporters are already facing problems and the government’s new plan would make them unemployed. He said the system needs to be improved rather than replaced.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2020