ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday ordered an inquiry into an inordinate delay in the initiation of the Islamabad metro bus service.
He directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to operationalise the service from April 16.
Sharif visited the Peshawar Mor station and reviewed the on-ground progress of the project.
The service was launched by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017 and was due to become functional in early 2018.
Metro Bus project from Peshawar Morr to Airport is still incomplete after 5 years. Have ordered inquiry into delay & quick completion of remaining work. Unfortunate that public welfare proj suffered delays & cost overruns. Almost all sectors of economy remained stagnant under IK.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 14, 2022
Sharif directed to run the service from Peshawar Morr to Islamabad International Airport in order to facilitate the passengers travelling towards the airport.
He also ordered a feasibility study as per Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules for two additional routes — from Rawat and Bhara Kahu — connecting the airport.
He directed to establish a metro bus station at the motorway for better connectivity and to enhance the benefit of the service to a maximum number of people.
Terming it “severe negligence”, Sharif expressed dismay over the delay in the materialisation of the project as Rs16 billion had already been spent on the mega project of public importance.
He termed it “unfair” towards the general public whose tax money had been consumed, however, the return facility was being denied to them.
He directed the officials concerned to make ToRs of the inquiry to assess the reasons for the delay that led to the loss of national wealth.
The prime minister suggested ensuring the installation of racks in the buses to accommodate the luggage of passengers en route to the airport.
He also directed running free of cost service for a trial period until the installation of ticketing machines.
Sharif, after assuming office on April 11, had ordered to make operational the Islamabad metro bus service within five days.
During the visit, PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Hanif Abbasi and Anjum Aqeel accompanied the prime minister.
The officials of the National Highway Authority and CDA briefed the prime minister about the project.
It was highlighted that initially 30 buses would be run on the 24-kilometre-long track from Peshawar Morr to Islamabad International Airport, while 15 buses will be taken from Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Rawalpindi till the new fleet is added to the metro service.
The prime minister was informed that the CDA was temporarily operating on behalf of the government, while a separate Metro Bus Authority was required to be formulated.
Buses will be covered in orange skin for route coding. The NHA to N5 station will take 6-8 minutes and from N5 to the airport around 25-30 minutes. The shuttle service will be run at a stretch of 11 kilometres.
Sharing pictures of Sharif’s visit, Aurangzeb, in a tweet, said he had given directives to run free of cost metro bus service during the month of Ramadan.
She said the previous rulers were making the excuse of “foreign conspiracy” to cover up their incompetence and corruption.
