ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated the Green and Blue Line metro bus services.

The inauguration, which saw several postponements during the last one week, was finally held on Thursday morning at Jillani Stop in Bhara Kahu. After Orange Line from Peshawar Mor to the new airport, now both the Green and Blue Lines have become operational.

CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed gave a briefing to the prime minister about all the three metro bus services.

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said the metro bus service would be a gift for the residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and would serve the common man, students and workers. He also directed expansion of both the bus services in coming years.

The Green Line starts from Bhara Kahu and calumniates at Pims stop. The passengers will disembark outside the hospital to catch the Red Line (Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro) for travelling to other parts of the city.

10 buses to run between Bhara Kahu and Pims, 15 on Koral-Pims route

The Blue Line is functional from Koral to Pims. Initially, these two metros are being run as non-stop services until the bus stations on the routes are constructed.

According to the CDA, work on the construction of the bus stations for both the lines is underway and will be completed by August 14. Both the Green and Blue lines are being run in mix traffic on existing roads and in future the CDA will construct designated corridors for them. A feeder bus will be operated from PWD Housing Society to Koral stop while another will run from Athal Chowk in Bhara Kahu to Jillani bus terminal to facilitate the commuters.

Sources in the CDA said the civic agency will ply 10 buses on Green Line and 15 on Blue Line. However, the CDA is planning to run only four buses on Green Line and 10 on Blue Line from Friday.

“We are expecting less ridership during Eid days but with an improvement of ridership we will add more buses,” said an official of the CDA.

Meanwhile, it has been decided that these buses will be operated without charging a fare for a month.

Prime Minister Sharif in April this year had inaugurated Orange Line from Peshawar Mor to the airport and had directed for free service for one month. However, the same service is still being run free as CDA is yet to get approval for fare from the federal government.

Recently, during a meeting held at the CDA headquarters, the civic agency discussed the proposed fare. It was proposed that Rs50 should be charged for Green Line and Blue Line services and Rs50 from Peshawar Mor to GT Road. From GT Road to the airport, the fare should be Rs100.

The CDA officials said they were expecting that the prime minister while inaugurating the Green Blue Line would also announce their fares. Now, the CDA civic agency would finalise the fares for all the three metro bus services in a few weeks.

“PM Sharif inaugurating first Islamabad Bus Service from Bhara Kahu to Pims (Green Line) & Koral to Pims (Blue Line) where these will merge with Red Line (Pindi-Islamabad Metro). From Faiz Ahmed Faiz Stop, passengers can take Orange Line to the airport,” tweeted Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

She along with Interior Minister Rana Sanullah, PML-N local leaders Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Anjum Aqeel Khan, Hanif Abbasi, Syed Zeeshan Naqvi, Sheikh Anser Aziz and others attended the inaugural ceremony.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2022