Islamabad now has an impressive array of four bus lines, connecting all corners of the city to central sectors.
By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Thursday extended its fleet of bus lines to four when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commissioned the project integrating multiple lines into service, and announced open two new bus lines.
The metro bus network now connects Bhara Kahu, GT Road, Koral and Rawalpindi with the city centre, respectively through Green, Orange, Blue and Red Line. The new lines will run free to the public for the first month of their operation.
The Green Line will run from Baharakahu to PIMS while the Blue Line will connect Koral with PIMS, where all the Green and Blue services will merge with Red Line, the original Rawalpindi Islamabad Metro Bus.
The Orange line to Islamabad Airport will join this trunk at Faiz Ahmad Faiz bus stop.
The prime minister also laid the foundation stone of a Command and Control centre for metro buses at Bhara Kahu, which will be completed in six months.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Green and Blue Lines bus service in Islamabad, the Prime Minister said that these transport facilities should be completely free for one month.
The network of bus lines should go some way towards a greener way of life by taking away the incentive on driving to work. Taking the bus would be a far healthier option for the passenger – and a much greener strategy for the nation, burning USD 20 billion every year to import expensive imported fossil fuels.
PM Sharif said power generation in the country was also very expensive, and prayed to Allah to reduce the price of oil as soon as possible. Cheaper electricity and gas can bring some relief to the masses, staggering under the burden of inflation.
Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the services would accommodate the residents of Islamabad and adjoining areas as affordable and decent transportation.
He eulogised PM Sharif saying he had, throughout his political career, taken steps to facilitate the common man.
Chairman CDA Amir Ahmed Ali said 30 buses had been imported from China for the fleet.
He said 13 bus stations had been set up from Koral to PIMS with a headway of six minutes. A bus shuttle will run from PWD for now due to road construction up to Rawat.
On Green Line, 8 stations are open to public while the remaining 6 are due to open their doors by August 14. The Command and Control Centre will be completed in six months.
Ali said that a smart bus pass would be launched for all bus lines, including the Red Line.
The CDA Chairman exulted that Islamabad was the first city in the country with four bus lines operating, and vowed to expand it in the capital’s residential sectors at every of 8 or 9 kilometres.
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