ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to launch two environment friendly electric feeder buses that will transport passengers towards the Green and Blue Line metro terminals.

The Green Line service will operate from Bhara Kahu (Jillani Stop) to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). CDA officials said that the existing two-lane Murree Road in Bhara Kahu area is already facing traffic congestion, therefore, it has been decided that the service will be started from Jillani Stop.

They said passengers will be picked up from Bhara Kahu (Attal Chowk) for the Green Line service whereas for the Blue Line service, passengers will be picked up from PWD.

CDA officials said construction work of bus stations on both routes is in progress and will be completed in August, however, CDA is planning to launch both bus services soon as a nonstop express service (from Bhara Kahu to Pims and from Koral to Pims).

Buses will transport passengers towards Green, Blue Line terminals

It is relevant to note here that the bus services will be launched in mix traffic for the time being on existing roads and in the future, CDA will construct separate and designate corridors for them.

For fiscal year 2022-23, the federal government earmarked funds amounting to Rs1,500 million for both services. According to budgetary documents, the government has earmarked Rs1,000 million for Rawat-Faizabad Metro bus project (Blue Line) and Rs500 million has been earmarked for Bhara Kahu Faizabad Metro (Green Lines).

The budgetary documents show that both projects will be given funds amounting to Rs10 billion (each) in the coming years, however, for the upcoming year, Rs1 billion will be given for the Blue Line service and Rs500 million for the Green Line service.

Recently, during a meeting at CDA headquarters, it was discussed that out of 30 metro buses, which had arrived from China, 10 will be used for the Blue Line service, five for Green Line and 15 will be plied on the Peshawar Mor to Airport route. Currently, the CDA is running the Airport bus service through borrowed buses of Rawlpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service.

The said meeting also discussed the proposed fare and participants were told that it was proposed that Rs50 should be charged for Green Line and Blue Line service while Rs50 should be charged for Peshawar Mor to Grand Trunk Road and then from GT Road to Airport, Rs100 should be charged per passenger.

The final decision regarding fares will be made after approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who will be given a presentation in the coming days by CDA before inauguration of the bus service. Sources said that it is expected that in the next week, PM Shehbaz will inaugurate the aforementioned bus services.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2022