Metro Bus Service to be launched on May 23

Rawalpindi
Finally, the concerned authorities have broken the long silence and gave May 23 as the date for launching the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service.
As authorities were reluctant to give a deadline for the launch of the mega project, but Metro Bus Project (MBP) Chairman Muhammad Hanif Abbasi here on Friday told ‘The News’ that its inauguration ceremony is likely to be held on May 23. The residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would travel on Metro buses from May 23, he claimed.
He also said that the Punjab government has also issued a notification to fix Rs20 as bus fare. “We have delivered the copy of notification to all related departments on Friday for its implementation,” he said.
Metro Bus Project (MBP) Chairman Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said that Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is coming to Rawalpindi after two days (on Sunday). “We would arrange a press conference on Sunday in which the chief minister would announce the final date for inauguration of the Metro Bus Service,” he said.
“The construction work on the Metro Bus Service is in final stages and the residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would enjoy facility in some days,” he said. He said that buses would ply in Rawalpindi and Islamabad but pending work would continue in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Daal said that he has received the Punjab government notification regarding fixation of bus fare at Rs20. “We have completed all necessary arrangements to inaugurate the Metro Bus Service in Rawalpindi and Islamabad,” he said.
The construction work was in final stages as work on Chandni Chowk Bus Station has been completed, while Package-II from Committee Chowk to 6th Road Chowk is also 100 per cent complete. The rest of the construction work would be completed soon.
Metro Bus Project Chairman Hanif Abbasi, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed and others inspected the construction work of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project on Friday. They inspected construction work from Saddar to Pak Secretariat and expressed their satisfaction over pace of work.
Reliable sources said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has approved the ‘subsidy-sharing formula’. The much-awaited ‘subsidy-sharing formula’ of the multi-billion Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project has been decided with federal and Punjab governments have to bear approximately Rs2 billion per annum subsidy.
According to the details available with ‘The News’, the ‘subsidy-sharing formula’ has been calculated on the basis of ridership and length of the Metro Bus Corridor by the Punjab Metro Bus Authority (PMBA). The federal government will be sharing Rs1.2 billion and the Punjab government Rs0.8 billion annually to keep buses on track.
According to the new estimates, the Metro Bus Project is expected to be completed by the end of the current month and the final cost of the project is approximately Rs44.2 billion.