ISLAMABAD: The free rides on metro buses in the capital are going to end as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) board on Friday allowed the civic agency to start charging fare from passengers from Monday.

The CDA board, which met chairman Mohammad Usman in the chair, took up the issue of metro bus fare as well as other agenda items.

The board allowed the CDA to start charging Rs30 on the pattern of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro, from passengers of all three metros which ply in Islamabad including the Orange Line (Peshawar Mor-Airport), Green Line (Bhara Kahu-Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) and Blue Line (from Koral to Pims) services from Monday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Orange Line in April and ordered the CDA to provide free bus service to people for one month. On July 7, the prime minister inaugurated the green and blue line bus services and ordered the civic body to run these services free for a month too.

However, the government took a few months in deciding the fare. Sources said the CDA had proposed a fare of Rs50 per passenger per stop or from the start to the ending point, but the federal government rejected the proposal and directed the CDA to charge Rs30 per passenger. Following the directive of the government, the CDA board on Friday gave a go-ahead to the civic body to start charging the fare from Monday.

Meanwhile, the board approved land for three new projects - construction of Banigala police station in Kuri, 2.5 acres for construction of National Institute of Intelligence and Security Studies of Quaid-i-Azam University and three acres for setting up Institute of Inclusive Education in H-8.

The issue of taking over the illegal housing scheme Jeddah Town also came under discussion. Sources said that after detailed deliberation, the board decided not to take over this scheme as CDA could not ensure granting the rights of purchasers.

Jeddah Town was launched in 1993. Initially the society obtained No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the CDA to establish the housing project on 297 kanals, however, later 800 kanals were included in it as per the CDA law. The society, while violating the rules, sold more plots than the land in hand.

In this connection, the authority not only took action against the society but National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed two references against the management of the society, as a result of which a few years ago, the society administration was directed to handover the land of the society to the deputy commissioner of Islamabad.

Source said the CDA board rejected the summary of the planning wing and decided not to take over this illegal housing society.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2022