MULTAN-After a delay of over one and a half years, the Multan Metro Bus is finally going to become functional from today (Tuesday) as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to inaugurate the project on Tuesday.
Multan Division Commissioner Capt (r) Asad Ullah Khan said that all arrangements for the inauguration have been complete and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would inaugurate the project. The Metro sources claimed that the bus service would begin two hours after the inauguration. “The ticketing machines have been installed at all stations and the bus service will be available for commuters just two hours after its inauguration,” sources added.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by the envoys of different countries, the Punjab Chief Minister, the Governor, provincial ministers, parliamentarians and notables of South Punjab. The district administration sources said that the invitation cards for the inaugural ceremony have been distributed and the main function would be held inside Bahauddin Zakariya University’s Jinnah auditorium followed by a briefing to the PM by metro authorities at BZ University Metro Station.
A rumour regarding cancellation of the inauguration ceremony also circulated in the town. The district administration and metro officials, however, neither confirmed nor denied the hoax.
The Multan Metro project had been promised by the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif while addressing a public meeting in Multan during the last leg of his election campaign in 2013. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif materialized the promise of his elder brother by announcing Metro for three big cities of Punjab including Multan on February 3, 2014. Although the chief minister claimed in his statement that the Multan Metro would take one year to become functional, the project took over two and a half years to complete.
On the other hand, the metro route has illuminated with green and white lights, giving the impression of national flags hoisted on the entire route. The route has also been decorated with welcoming banners. “The project is going to give Multan a new identity-a metropolitan city-while changing its transport culture for good,” said Sabir Khan Saddozai, the technical advisor for the project.
He claimed that over 95,000 people are likely to commute daily by Multan Metro. “The over Rs28 billion project will connect 35 major educational institutions and 25 hospitals. Thousands of students, patients and other citizens are likely to take benefit of this service daily,” he hoped. He said that the metro route is 18.5 kilometre long out of which 12.5 kilometre is elevated and one station is set up after every 700 meters. He further revealed that the metro route would be connected to different parts of the town via 11 feeder routes. “Air conditioned luxury buses will be run on these feeder routes to bring the commuters to the metro stations. Special discounts will be given to the people travelling via feeder routes,” he added.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by Punjab Governor Malik Rafiq Rajwana’s office said that he would arrive at Multan along with Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday morning to receive the Prime Minister.
Similarly, Punjab Minister for Food Bilal Yaseen also chaired a meeting of parliamentarians from Multan here at Circuit House on Monday to review arrangements for the metro inauguration ceremony.