Applications to ply buses for Islamabad airport rejected

Rawalpindi : District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) on Thursday rejected applications of all private transport companies interested in plying buses for Islamabad International Airport. DRTA rejected the applications because all the companies failed to meet the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The DRTA invited private transport companies through advertisement to ply buses to facilitate citizens to reach Islamabad International Airport. Four private transport companies submitted their papers till July 25, 2019. But, DRTA has rejected all applications of transport companies in a final meeting held here in Deputy Commissioner (DC) office on Thursday.

District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Khalid Yameen Satti told ‘The News’ that they have rejected the applications because interested parties did not fulfil even the necessary requirements. The paper work of private transport companies was not complete. They neither showed us buses nor bank statements, he said. “Therefore we have rejected all the applications,” he said.

The local management had promised to ply 66 air-conditioned buses on different routes to reach new Islamabad International Airport. But, public is still deprived of buses for over a year and facing hell like situation to reach IIA.

In April 2019, a private transport company had assured to ply total 66 buses in first phase. The transport company assured to ply 37 buses from Rawat to newly built airport while 29 buses from Koral Chowk to the airport but later refused to ply the buses on fare issue. The distance from Rawat to airport was 43.9 kilometres and distance from Koral Chowk to airport is 35.2 kilometres. The transport company had fixed fare of Rs270 per person from Rawat to airport while fare from Koral Chowk to airport was not finalised. Secondly, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was not ready to provide parking for the buses.