ISLAMABAD: Endorsing Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s point of view on operation of the Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Mor to Islamabad International Airport (IIA), Federal Minister for Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Friday stressed upon the Punjab government to support the civic agency in operationalisingthe service.

The minister chaired a meeting of a subcommittee to decide about the modalities for operationalising the metro-bus corridor from Peshawar Mor (G-9) to the IIA.

The subcommittee, headed by the deputy chairman Planning Commission, was constituted to finalise the arrangements between the CDA and the Punjab government for running the buses.

Sources said the CDA wanted the Punjab Mass Transit Authority’s help in running 10 buses on the track until the civic agency procure 30 new buses.

The bus track has been completed by the National Highway Authority (NHA) and handed over to the CDA.

The NHA had launched work on the 25.6 km track with seven stations and platform worth Rs16 billion in Jan 2017. The project was supposed to complete in August 2018. However, due to slow funding, the work saw delays.

Summary already moved seeking Rs1.9bn to procure 30 buses for new track

The sources said the CDA has already moved a summary to the federal government seeking Rs1.9 billion to procure the 30 buses.

“The finance minister stressed upon the Punjab government to support the CDA to operationalise the metro bus corridor by providing the requisite number of buses and technical know-how until the CDA establishes its own fully functional Mass Transit Authority along with all the allied infrastructure and wherewithal,” said a press release issued by the finance ministry after the meeting.

During the meeting, CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed stressed the need to operationalise the metro bus corridor from Peshawar Mor to the airport immediately to facilitate the commuters.

He informed the meeting that the cabinet had already approved the formation of the Capital Mass Transit Authority (CMTA) to run the Metro Bus Service. However, the CDA required support from the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) in the form of buses and technical know-how to make the corridor operational immediately.

Accordingly, the CDA chairman requested the PTMA to provide the buses to operationalise the service. His request was supported by the finance minister.

The PMTA is already running a metro service from Rawalpindi Saddar to Secretariat Islamabad.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, Additional Secretary Ministry of Interior Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, Managing Director Punjab Mass Transit Authority Mirza Naseer Inayat, Member NHA Arbab Ali, Secretary Finance Kamran Ali Afzal and other senior officers attended the meeting. The chief secretary Punjab joined the meeting through a video link.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2021