ISLAMABAD - With a lot of infrastructure yet to be developed, the government has given another deadline to make the Metro Bus Service (MBS) project from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA) operational.
The Metro Bus Service project from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport will be made operational by 23rd March 2022, Parliamentary Secretary for Interior Shaukat Ali told the National Assembly during question hour on Friday. He said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has engaged consultants to design the missing facilities including procurement of buses and construction of Command and Control Center.
Much of the infrastructure work from Peshawar Morr to New International Airport is yet to be developed and the CDA has failed to start operation of Metro Bus Service on the said route. The infrastructure works on the Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport has been executed by the National Highway Authority. However, certain essential equipment required for making the system operational such as ticketing system, security surveillance system, command and control centre, bus depot with ancillaries etc. have not been undertaken by the NHA. For the purpose, a separate PC-I was prepared by the CDA and approved by the authorities.
Certain works (included in the NHA scope) are also yet to be completed by the Authority such as signboards, fixing of cat-eyes and lane marking, missing light fittings and fixtures, lane separation (N-5 to Airport Turning), walkthrough gates and luggage scanners, bathroom fittings and fixtures, park and ride facility lighting, data cabin, horticulture works, IESCO and other utility connections etc. According to the officials, the CDA has already engaged consultants to design the missing facilities i.e. procurement of buses and construction of Command and Control Centre etc. They said Metro Bus Service will be made operational by the CDA in the first quarter of 2022. The inauguration of the bus service on the said route was delayed due to different reasons since years.
Furthermore, the house was told that 200 different trees were removed during dualisation of Ataturk Avenue (Embassy Road) from Khayaban-e-Suharwady to Jinnah Avenue three years back. The roads are built on the land designated as right of way as per master plan of Islamabad. The interior minister told the house that as construction of roads is incremental and are constructed based on the traffic load till the time the roads are not built, some self-grown trees grow at vacant land which were removed during the dualisation of Ataturk Avenue (West) Road. He said against cutting of these trees, almost 3000 new large size trees have been planted at the said avenue.
After transfer of Environment Wing from MCI to CDA, a complete ban has been imposed on cutting of trees. Now trees are shifted instead of removal (cutting) coming in alignment of different ongoing projects. During the current year, target of plantation of 300,000 trees has been entrusted to the CDA. Almost 275000 lager size trees have been planted till now at different avenues, road sides, green belts and parks.