No transport service to new airport

Rawalpindi: The local management has yet failed to ply buses to facilitate citizens to reach new Islamabad International Airport (IIA). The people are facing difficulties in commuting to and from IIA. In the absence of a bus service, passengers are relying on cabs and other expensive private vehicles.

Earlier a private transport company had assured to ply 66 air-conditioned buses for people travelling to and from IIA to Rawat and Koral Chowk.

District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Khalid Yameen Satti told ‘The News’ that we have failed to ply buses to IIA because airport authorities did not provide parking space to the private transporters. How private transporters could ply buses without parking space in airport, he said.

He said that we are continuously in contact with the transporters to ply buses on the issue and buses will be plied after becoming of a permanent parking set-up.

The transport authority had assured to ply total 66 buses in first phase, 37 buses from Rawat to IIA while 29 buses from Koral Chowk to airport.

The transport authority had also fixed the fare according to distance; from Rawat to airport (43.9 km) Rs270 would be charged for per person and fare from Koral Chowk to airport (35.2 km) yet to be finalised.