RAWALPINDI: A metro bus was destroyed after it caught fire near the 6th Road station on Saturday morning. However, no passengers were injured in the incident.
According to Rescue 1122, the bus caught fire while passing through the bus stop. It said rescue officials reached the scene and brought the flames under control.
Following the incident, the metro service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad was suspended. Later, the affected bus was removed from the track and the service was restored.
Plumes of smoke rising from the gutted bus could be seen from afar. Videos shared on social media showed the red bus engulfed in fire and rescue workers attempting to put out the flames.
Fire caused by overheating brakes and some electric fault, says official
On May 15, a fire broke out in the engine of a metro bus at Faizabad station, filling the bus with smoke. Passengers barely escaped by breaking the windows of the vehicle. Due to lack of proper care and maintenance, the metro buses plying on the Rawalpindi-Islamabad route are gradually falling into disrepair.
When contacted, Punjab Masstransit Authority (PMA) General Manager Operation Uzair Shah said as per preliminary findings, the fire was caused by overheating brakes and some electric fault. “PMA has directed the bus operations contractor to replace the damaged bus immediately,” he said.
He said: “The fitness of buses was checked last year and we received a positive report. However, due to the poor condition of the metro track from Faizabad to Pakistan Secretariat, buses develop faults due to excessive use of brakes.”
Mr Shah said the PMA had requested the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to repair the bus track under its jurisdiction as the Punjab government had already repaired the track from Saddar to Faizabad last year.
“We gave the CDA two options: either repair the track itself or provide funds to PMA for the repair work,” he said.
He added that the CDA assured the PMA of providing funds and informed the authority that the Ministry of Interior had approved funds which would be handed over to PMA soon.
“We were informed that CDA will also release to us Rs3 billion pending with it for the last a few years in terms of subsidy provided to passengers,” he said.
He said once the PMA gets the funds, the repair of the track from Faizabad to Pakistan Secretariat would be started. He expressed hope that the funds will be released next month.
About fitness of the buses, he said that all buses will be checked soon and a report would be finalised. However, he added, that at the moment there was no plan to add more buses to the current fleet of 68.
Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026
