ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday got 20 more buses that are likely to be added to the existing fleet plying on the green and blue lines. Besides, two new metro bus services are also being planned.

The 20 new buses, which the CDA procured from the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), were brought to Islamabad on containers on Friday. They have been parked in a depot at Peshawar Mor.

“We are very happy today as we have received 20 more buses; we can use them on the existing green and blue lines. We are also thinking of starting two new routes,” said a CDA board member.

He, however, said a final decision to operate the new buses would be made by the CDA in the coming days, adding that the civic body was also taking steps to procure 10 more buses.

Two new routes under consideration, says official

Recently, the CDA board was briefed about the work being carried out for starting two new metro routes – Tramri Chowk to Aabpara and Wah Cantonment to the N-5 metro station –by Sept 30. Therefore, it is yet to be decided if the CDA will use the new buses on these routes or not.

On the other hand, some CDA officials said the new buses were likely to be operated on the Green Line (Bhara Kahu to Pims) and Blue Line (Koral to Pims) in place of the existing buses which were procured for the Orange Line from Peshawar Mor to Islamabad International Airport.

However, almost a month before the arrival of the buses for the Orange Line from China, the CDA started the Peshawar Mor to the airport bus service through borrowed buses of the Red Line (Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service).

Meanwhile, the CDA started green and blue lines with the buses of Orange Line.

The officials said the new 20 buses would be used on these two routes and the existing ones could be shifted to the Orange Line in place of Red Line buses.

“The final decision will be made by the authority in this regard. We might opt to ply some extra buses on green and blue lines as these two routes are very busy and there is a demand for more buses on these routes,” said an official of the CDA.

Islamabad had no public bus service until the launch of the metro bus services a few months ago.

Last week, the CDA board approved setting up of the Capital Mass Transit Authority and opening of new metro bus routes. The new routes are Tramri Chowk to Aabpara and Wah Cantonment to the N-5 metro station which according to CDA will be opened by Sept 30.

The other routes - Pirwadhai to Faizabad and Nilore to Khanna Bridge - would be made functional in future.

Besides, the board was also informed that the CDA with the help of National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) had started a study to identify potential routes for F, G, H and I series of sectors.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2022