RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has decided to build a bus depot for electric buses in Saddar for which it will utilise a vacant piece of land, measuring approximately 22 kanal, that once functioned as the bus stand for the government transport service (GTS).

102 e-buses for 10 new intra-city routes are likely to arrive by the end of 2025, and the government will build two bus depots—one in Siham on Peshawar Road and the other in Saddar at the GTS bus stop.

The government chose Saddar after it realised that 28 kanal in Siham was not enough to accommodate 102 buses. A senior official of the transport department told Dawn that the GTS areas on Peshawar Road and in Saddar would be used for the bus depot and charging stations.

He said that 28 kanal in Siham and 22 kanal in Saddar would be developed soon in 2025, adding that the charging stations would be constructed at both sites. He said that the district administration had conducted a survey of the city and found no vacant place except for these two suitable for a bus depot and the charging stations for the e-buses. He said that the land was in possession of the transport department and would not require additional funds for the purchase of new land.

22 kanal of land previously catered to a bus stand for government transport service

“The Punjab government approved Rs7 billion for e-buses on new 10 routes to connect the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It had no additional funds [available] for the procurement of new land; neither was land available in the garrison city measuring up to 50 kanal,” he said. He said that initially, the Punjab government would introduce 102 electronic buses and the number would be later increased.

On the other hand, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) asked the Regional Transport Department to allocate defunct GTS land in Saddar for general parking. “The RCB has requested the same space for general parking after the buses leave the depot in the morning,” said an official of RTA.

The RTA refused, saying it would be difficult to accommodate vehicles as the provincial government would also install charging stations for electronic buses in the area, the official added.

Apart from this, some religious groups were eyeing this land for the construction of a mosque.

“The Punjab government made it clear to them that the purpose of land was to accommodate buses for the public and it would not be changed,” he said.

The sports associations of Rawalpindi also wanted this land for sports activities, but they were informed that the provincial government wanted to use this land for the public welfare work, which would start work in 2025 and end before the end of the year.

When contacted, RTA Secretary Rashid Ali said that the provincial government approved the project for the e-transport system and the work would be started soon.

He said that the Punjab government would not give away its land for any other purpose than the transport system. He said that two depots would be constructed in Siham and Saddar.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2024