ISLAMABAD: The city managers, who are focusing on road projects, are yet to launch their promised bus service on six busy routes of the capital.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) in 2016 had decided to launch a bus service on six routes - Bhara Kahu to Marghazar Zoo via Dhokri, Aabpara, Polyclinic and F-6, Rawat to Faisal Mosque, Tarnol to Fatima Jinnah (F-9) Park, G.T. Road near Railway Carriage factory to I.J. Principal Road metro station, Nilor Chowk to Koral Chowk and from Lehtrar Chowk to Aabpara. However, so far the project remains a mere announcement.

CDA officials Dawn spoke to said in 2016, it was calculated that around 50 buses and Rs220 million was required as subsidy for the project per year. The officials said it was decided that a significant portion of the total cost would be covered by advertisements at over 140 bus stops on the six routes.

At that time, it was also decided that buses will run on existing roads, but there will be a separate lane for them at all intersections.

“In 2016, we decided that a private firm will be engaged to begin the project through a competitive process, while the CDA will provide subsidy and patronage,” an officer said.

Ali Khan, a resident of Bhara Kahu, said: “During office time, we faced a lot of difficulties to get a seat in a van. On many occasions, I had to wait for around one hour for public transport.”

Similarly, Akbar Mahmood, a resident of Khanna Pul, said getting a place to sit in vans during rush hour was very difficult.

“There should be a public transport facility on all routes of Islamabad,” he added.

The officials said decades ago, Government Transport Service (GTS) used to ply its buses in Islamabad and later, a private bus service called Varan operated buses in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, adding that both services were very beneficial for people, but they were discontinued.

“If a decent bus service is launched on all routes of Islamabad, there will be significant reduction of traffic load on all roads because people instead of using their cars will prefer a decent bus service. Focusing on road projects is good, but the main solution to Islamabad’s traffic problem is a bus service and mass transit,” said a CDA official.

When contacted, a spokesperson for CDA said the civic agency was all set to launch the bus service this year. “We will engage 30 buses for seven routes; the federal cabinet has already approved this project in the interim report of revision of master plan,” he said.

He said PC-I of the said project would be approved next month and then the civic agency would float tenders, adding that the civic agency had been making efforts to introduce the bus service in December this year.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2021