ISLAMABAD: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has started the process to hand over the metro bus project from Peshawar Mor to Islamabad International Airport (IIA) to the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The NHA executed the construction work and after taking it over the CDA will run the bus service.

Sources said five metro stations were handed over to the CDA on Monday. A few days ago, the NHA also handed over a portion of the metro track from Peshawar Mor to the railway bridge. In the second phase, the remaining two stations and the main platform will be handed over to the CDA.

Before starting the bus service, the CDA will install ticketing and Information technology systems at the bus stations. the civic agency has started taking over the project on the directive of the federal government. The federal cabinet recently directed Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to work out a plan for the handing over and taking over of the project.

Portion of metro track from Peshawar Mor to railway bridge handed over by NHA

The CDA last year also got PC-1 worth Rs1.9 billion approved for procuring 30 buses and set up a ticketing, command and control system. Its officials said the civic agency had been making efforts to get the fund release from the federal government for purchasing 30 buses.

They said once the entire project was shifted to CDA, as a stop-gap arrangement the civic agency could request Islamabad Rawalpindi Metro Bus Service to ply a few buses on the route until the CDA procures the buses.

The officials said procuring of specific buses for the metro track would take time as the buses would be manufactured.

The NHA launched work on the 25.6-km-long track from Peshawar Mor to IIA worth Rs16 billion in Jan 2017. The project was supposed to complete in Aug 2018. However, due to slow release of funds, the project saw delays. There was also uncertainty about the organisation to run the bus services. The NHA had been stating that it was supposed to complete the civil work only while the CDA was of the view that being a development agency its job was not to operate a bus service.

Similarly, Punjab Masstransit Authority, a few years ago, also refused to take responsibility of running buses on this route. However, the federal government has directed the CDA to operate the bus service.

NHA officials said the project was almost complete and remaining finishing touches such as electric work will be completed soon. They said due to slow release of funds, the project faced a little delay but the incumbent management of the NHA had expedited the work.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021