ISLAMABAD: Residents of Islamabad can begin traveling on electric buses from Saturday on two routes, , following the inauguration of the service by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
As many as 30 electric buses will be operated on the two routes – from NUST to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and from PIMS to Bari Imam.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will charge a Rs50 flat fare from each passenger. Additionally, charging points have been set up for the electric buses on an emergency basis at the Convention Centre and in H-9.
Additionally, a fleet of 70 buses has arrived in Islamabad and will be operated on 11 other routes after the training of drivers and their helpers, which will take about a month.
In the next few months, CDA Islamabad will receive the final fleet of 60 buses, increasing the total number to 160.
Federal Minister Naqvi inaugurated the bus service at the Convention Centre, where CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa briefed him about the service and its functions. The minister says Islamabad’s transport system will be further improved.
Mohsin Naqvi appreciated the standards of the buses and said the public transport system in Islamabad would be further improved to facilitate citizens.
The electric buses first route starts from NUST and ends at PIMS, passing through G-11 Markaz, G-10 Markaz, G-9 Markaz, and G-8 Markaz. It will have 13 stops, with a bus arriving at each stop every 10 minutes.
The second route starts from PIMS and ends at Bari Imam, passing through G-7, G-6, Melody, Aabpara, Ataturk Road, Serena Hotel, Foreign Office, Radio Pakistan, and the Diplomatic Enclave.
The electric buses belong to NRTC, a contractor of CDA and subsidiary of the Ministry of Defence, which will receive Rs306 to Rs331 per kilometer in fare and logistical support.
During his previous tenure, PM Shehbaz Sharif instructed the CDA to launch new bus services on 13 routes.
At his direction, the then CDA chairman Noorul Amin Mengal engaged NRTC to purchase e-buses from an international firm that manufactured them in China.
During the PML-N government’s tenure (2013-18), the Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro service was initiated, followed by the introduction of the Orange, Green, and Blue Lines in the capital.
Earlier, during a meeting at the CDA headquarters, the interior minister announced the goal to “transform Islamabad into a world-class city,” according to a press release.
The minister instructed the CDA and the capital administration to exclusively procure electric buses for official use going forward. Additionally, he has placed a ban on the purchase of conventional motorcycles (for CDA and ICT).
