ISLAMABAD - Public anger is boiling up against delay in completion of the multibillion rupees Metro Bus Project (MBP), as civil society activists and traders took to the street on Tuesday demanding the authorities of fixing exact date of completion of the project.
Civil society and traders of the twin-cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad held a walk on Jinnah Avenue demanding the government for giving exact and clear-cut date for the launch of the multi-billion project. They argued that delay in the project was not only paralyzing routine life in the twin cities but was also causing escalation of the project.
Addressing the ‘Walk: Quick Completion of Metro Bus Project,’ which was organised by EsaR Trust and attended by members of trade bodies and business community, Syed Muhammad Bilal called upon the government that no excuse pertaining to the further delay of the project would be tolerated.
He said that prolonged delay in metro bus project was adversely affecting the businesses of traders, besides multiplying the worries and difficulties of the dwellers of the twin cities.
Syed Bilal went on saying that the government instead of misleading the masse by giving lame excuses for delay in the project should give last and final date for its completion to ease the woes of the masses, as traders of the twin cities have already on roads and set up a hunger strike camp in protest against undue delay of the project.
He demanded of the government that businesses of various markets situated along side of metro bus routes of the twin cities have badly affected during last one a half year trade activities in the city were minimized due to inconvenience caused by metro bus the project, so the government should announce compensation for their financial losses as well as a five-year tax waiver for the traders.
The speakers said further delay in the project will not be accepted at any cost, as traders who have already suffered a lot were no more in position to bear further financial losses.
“The government should repair the roads damaged during the construction of the metro bus track in the capital city on war-footing and remove the heaps of construction materials lying on different roads,” he added.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA), he asked should clear the mess and nurse the damaged green environment back to health.
Blue Area Trader leader Imran Shabir, Ashiq Hussain, Lawyer leader Mansoor Abbasi advocate and Shafiq Abbasi along others also addressed on the occasion.