Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus to be inaugurated in January: Senate informed

The Senate was informed on Wednesday that the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service Project will be inaugurated in January 2015 to facilitate the commuters of the twin cities. Responding to queries of the senators during question hour, Minister of State for Interior Balighur Rehman told the house that besides the Metro Bus project, another bus service will also be launched on three routes in the federal capital to facilitate public.
He said as per the initial plan the Metro Bus project was scheduled to be completed by December 2014 but it was delayed due to the ongoing protest sit-ins by PTI and PAT workers. He said the contractors had sought a six-month extension to complete the project, but the government wanted an early completion of the project. The minister said the project will be inaugurated in January 2015 and it will largely overcome the problems being faced by the people of the twin cities in the absence of a proper public transportation mean.
He said there was a proposal to launch a bus service in the federal capital prior to the approval of the Metro Bus project, which has been put on hold for the time being and would be launched in future on three routes. In a written reply, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the house that it was correct that public transport is not being operated in Islamabad. However, private transport is plying on different routes in Islamabad Capital Territory.
He said that the ICT Administration exercises regulatory and supervisory role on the private transport operating in ICT. He said that it has no role or authority for launching a mass public transport system in ICT. However, CDA is working on a proposal to launch public transport service in Islamabad, he added. He said at present 23 inter-city routes are plying in Islamabad whereas 7 routes have been added from time to time, keeping in view the public demand. He said that two new routes were launched in last six months.
He further told the house that the ICT Administration exercises regulatory and supervisory role on private transport in ICT. He said there is no proposal with ICT Administration for launching a mass public transport system in ICT. However, the CDA is working on a proposal to launch public transport service in Islamabad, he added.