National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust), in a recent study, identified 13 new bus routes linking several areas of the capital city and shared the findings with the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The research was shared at the CDA Headquarters in Islamabad during a meeting which was attended by CDA Chairman retired Capt Mohammad Usman, officials from NUST and CDA, and former MNAs including Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Anjum Aqeel Khan, and Hanif Abbasi.
The NUST official presented the research and will soon provide a report to the CDA which will then draught a PC-I to commence civil work on the routes.
The CDA hired the university to carry out a feasibility study for the identification of the new potential bus routes in Islamabad city.
The discovered additional routes
According to the sous, the capital city would be connected in a much better way if the buses get plied on the newly identified 13 routes out of which nine are within the city while four are for the rural areas. The four rural routes are given below:
- Nilor to Khanna
- Tramri to Aabpara
- N5 (GT Road) to D-17
- IJP Road to the IJP Metro Station
150 buses will be required for the 13 routes and the CDA will seek private operators to provide buses on them after completing the construction of the routes, told the sources.
Previously in August, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the CDA to initiate an intercity bus service within a month’s time which prompted the CDA to make rapid efforts towards the initiation of the service after launching three metro bus services.
On the other hand, all three of the Metro Bus services (Orange, Blue, and Green) that the PM launched in the months of April and July are still providing free trips to commuters since the federal government has yet to establish theirfares.