Metro Bus Service solves commuting problem

Already late for office, Ghayyur Abbas was on his bike hurrying to work on Benazir Bhutto Road when traffic signal changed suddenly. As he was going fast, he slipped to the ground unharmed, but getting his dress soiled with muck on the grubby road and had to return home to change his attire.
"I landed in trouble because the public transport service in Rawalpindi is erratic. Routes are congested, far apart and wagons often late, making bike ride a better option. A lack of reliable and efficient transportation has been a huge barrier for me. Now Metro Bus Service has given me the best alternative," says Ghayyur.
"The Metro bus journey is not dangerous as portrayed by a cartoonist in a local daily. People thronged the Metro bus stations on Day 1 to enjoy the safety and comfort of travel. It was very nice to see them, especially women, as they think the Metro Bus Service has brought end to their insecure and troubled journey," says Anum Ali, a hospital worker.
The 23-km Metro Bus track with 68 air-conditioned buses operated by the Turkish firm Albayrak will carry an estimated 135,000 passengers daily along the signal-free lanes.
"The Metro Bus Project has been well-planned to cover a number of hospitals, including PIMS, Polyclinic and Benazir Bhutto Hospital within the route and making it convenient for people to get to these hospitals with ease, speed and economical cost in emergency situations," says Tasuwwar Fatima, Anum's colleague.
"In addition to public health institutions, almost all major educational institutions fall on the Metro Bus Service route which means an immense relief for students travelling to their educational institutions," adds Fatima.
"It seems apparently unwise to spend a sum of Rs44 billion on the Metro Bus Project in a country where Tharparker population is dying due to shortage of drinking water. Under the circumstances, one can't even think of enjoying drive on this costly road. But I still like the project, as it is a beautiful addition to my city," says Akhter Malkmeeri, running a small business in Saddar.
"On the day the inauguration ceremony of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service was held, on my way back to Rawalpindi from PNCA after attending a musical evening there, I saw lighting, plastic trees, beautifying the bus route, stations with ticketing booths, glistening tiles, escalators, elevators and modern glass and steel structures with roofs and elevated portion of Metro with Margalla Hills in the backdrop. The scene was breathtaking," adds Akhter.
"Although much work remains to be done on the present line of the project, the construction of new Metro lines has also been planned to provide stress-free journey to Pindiites and Islooites and ease the hardship travellers have gone through so far during their every day travel around the twin cities," says Ashiq Mehdi.
"The travel time is considered to be the solitary strongest reason in evading poverty. The longer a regular travel in a given city, the worse the chances of low-income people to go to work without difficulty and move up the ladder," says Fazle Moula, a low-paid worker of a private firm.
Employees of the government and private sector by accessibility to Metro Bus Service will be well served by it. Even those relying on personal vehicles, especially the middle and lower class, will definitely avail this facility. Now I can work my way up in life," adds Fazle Moula.