ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi on Friday inaugurated an electric bus depot and charging stations at Zero Point and directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to complete a feasibility study within three months for launching a tram project on two busy routes.
Currently, all 160 electric buses are operational, with the CDA stating that daily ridership has reached up to 125,000 passengers.
The interior minister directed officials to give special attention to students and the elderly, saying that a reliable and safe transport system is essential for the promotion of education.
Mr Naqvi travelled in an electric bus along with the CDA chairman, the inspector general of police Islamabad and other concerned officials. He appreciated the daily ridership figures and directed the CDA to increase it to 250,000 passengers per day.
Inaugurates e-bus depot as its ridership reaches 125,000 daily
He said that, along with the metro service, the electric bus service was helping to address traffic issues.
CDA officials informed the minister that the depot set up at Zero Point has the capacity to install 64 chargers.
Currently, 50 chargers have been installed, while 14 more will be added soon.
Each charger can charge two buses in two hours.
He was told that electric buses are currently operating on 21 routes in Islamabad, including Rawat.
Earlier, only six routes had been formally inaugurated.
However, the minister inaugurated the remaining routes.
Officials also informed him that the project has been integrated with Google services.
Mr Naqvi said the electric bus service, along with the metro system, was playing an important role in addressing traffic challenges and facilitating commuters.
It is relevant to note that the depot has been set up on a greenbelt at Zero Point, as the original transportation centre planned for Sector I-8 could not be constructed there after the CDA amended Islamabad’s master plan in the 1980s and converted the sector from institutional and transport use to residential.
Meanwhile, sources said CDA officials briefed the minister on a proposed electric tram project in Islamabad.
He was informed that the National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) was being engaged to conduct a feasibility study.
The minister directed the CDA to complete the study within three months.
The CDA plans to operate the tram from the Islamabad Airport to Lake View Park, which will serve as the starting point of the Murree Glass Train project, and from Rawat to Lake View Park.
The proposed tram project had remained under discussion within the CDA for years without practical progress.
However, sources said the authority now appears serious about the project, particularly as it would be linked to the Murree Glass Train project if executed.
During the inauguration, the minister also said efforts were underway to restore the Rawalpindi-Islamabad railway service to provide an additional modern transport option for residents of the twin cities.
Last year, on the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the CDA and Pakistan Railways held several meetings on operating a train service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Following a feasibility study, the proposed service is expected to run from Margalla Railway Station to Saddar Rawalpindi.
Sources said utmost care would be required to ensure the project’s success, as a similar service launched in the 1990s from Margalla Station in H-9 to Saddar Rawalpindi was closed within three months after being declared a failure.
Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2026
