Peshawar Morr to IIA: Commuters facing problems as bus service lacks proper stops

ISLAMABAD: Commuters are facing problems as Metrobus service plying between Peshawar Morr and the Islamabad International Airport (IIA) lacks proper bus stops despite tall claims made by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) about making the facility operational soon after Shehbaz Sharif took charge as prime minister in April this year.

The commuters are facing problems and difficulties due to non-operating stations between G-15 Islamabad and the new airport. There is not a single bus stop between Sector G-15 and the airport, as places reserved for bus stations are yet to be made operational.

The commuters travelling from Sectors G-14, G-15, G-17 Islamabad, Mumtaz City, Top City, and surrounding areas are facing great difficulties and problems in reaching offices, hospitals, schools etc due to the absence of bus stations.

Muhammad Kashif, a resident of Sector G-17 said while talking to Business Recorder that he is facing many problems to reach his office due to the lack of public transport. He said that there is a very good and wide road from the New Islamabad Airport which is linked with the Srinagar Highwaybut there are no facilities of bus stations.

He said that he has to wait and had to even take a lift on many occasions in order to reach his office. He said that he only can see moving Metrobus on his route but could not ride due to the non-availability of its station.He said that there is no Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus stations between G-15 (26 Number station) and the airport. He said that many commuters of Mumtaz City, Top City, and surrounding villages gather every morning and evening and even at other timings near the airport link road of the Motorway bridge for going to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He said they can see Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus moving on this road but they cannot ride the bus due to the lack of station facility.

Another commuter Muhammad Akram said that he is facing a lot of difficulties due to the non-facility of public transport as his children go to a public school in G-13, Islamabad. He said that he used to use a motorbike for pick and drop his children. He said that it is not easy to ride the motorbike in cold weather. He said that at times his children fall ill due to the cold weather. He said that it would become very easy for him if the government provides the facility of a bus station near Islamabad link Motorway (Lahore–Peshawar) ML-1. He said that after the facility of bus station not only his children could easily go to their school but many people could go comfortably to their offices.

Muhammad Farooq, a resident of Mumtaz City, said that the government has allocated Metrobus stations on the Airport road near the society but they have not been constructed so far after the passage of more than three years. He said that he used to use his car for going to office at I-9, Islamabad. He said that now it has become unaffordable due to the increasing price of petrol. He said that it would become easy for him to go to the office by riding Metrobus, if its station is made functional. He said that many commuters are forced to take a lift for their daily commute.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022