ISLAMABAD: Despite the fact that the capital’s recently launched metro bus services have been running for a few months, there is no fare for the passengers because the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is awaiting approval from the federal government.
The CDA suggested a price for the commute within cities in a summary it gave to the government, but the civic body has not yet been notified of the outcome of the plan.The Orange Line Metro, which runs from Peshawar Mor to the airport in Islamabad, was officially opened in April by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He had instructed the CDA to offer passengers free bus travel for a month.
The Green Line Metro, which runs from Bhara Kahu to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Blue Line Metro, which runs from Koral to Pims, were both opened on July 7 by the prime minister, who also instructed the local government to provide these services gratis for a month.
Sources claim that the CDA sent a report to the interior ministry last month in order to request approval from the federal government for the fare increase, but the government has not yet made a decision.In its executive summary, the CDA recommended rates of Rs. 50 for the green, blue, and orange lines of the bus, Rs. 50 for the orange line service, and Rs. 100 from N-5 Station to the airport, translating to a fare of Rs. 150 for transportation from Peshawar Mor to the airport.
For the Orange Line service, the CDA had engaged a bus driver at a rate of Rs147 per kilometre. Additionally, the operator was recruited to temporarily manage the Green and Blue bus routes while a new contractor was being hired.
