RAWALPINDI: The authorities have decided to shift Pirwadhai General Bus Stand along with all 44 small and large public transport terminals, goods transport terminals, and the Islamabad fruit and vegetable market to new sites near the Rawalpindi Ring Road.
Pirwadhai General Bus Stand was earlier moved from Liaquat Bagh to its current location in 1975 during the tenure of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. At that time, the decision led to strong protests in the city, and transporters went on a week-long strike before the issue was settled.
Under the new plan, bus and transport terminals at Faizabad, Chungi No. 26, and other areas will also be shifted. Heavy transport vehicles will not be allowed to enter Rawalpindi city, and a complete ban will be imposed. Any heavy vehicle entering the city will be seized by the authorities.
Pirwadhai General Bus Stand will come under the full control of the Punjab government. It will function as a terminal for inter-district, intra-city, and Rawalpindi–Islamabad route transport. Local buses for Rawalpindi and Islamabad will operate from this terminal, with fares ranging from Rs20 to Rs50.
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Transport coming from Peshawar will be shifted to a terminal near Islamabad Airport, while vehicles from Punjab will use the Ring Road. Traffic from Azad Kashmir via Murree will stop near Bharakahu, while vehicles from other districts will be directed to Rawat through the Ring Road.
At present, work on the Ring Road is underway from Rawat to the new airport. After the completion of the section from Islamabad Airport to Bharakahu, traffic from Bharakahu will also be shifted to Rawat.
The project was originally approved in 2004 during the tenure of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi but was delayed for several years. Once completed, government buses, wagons, and other public transport services will bring passengers from the new terminals into the city.
