CDA to prepare separate PC-1 for missing facilities in Metro Bus project

Islamabad : The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to prepare a separate PC-1 for provision of missing facilities in the Metro Bus project from Peshawar Morr to the New Islamabad Airport.

The CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed, in a meeting attended by CDA officers and consultants of the project, reviewed progress on Islamabad Metro Bus project from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport. It was observed during the meeting that there were some missing aspects in project’s scope of work initiated earlier.

Therefore, a separate PC-1 was prepared by CDA in consultation with experts to include required facilities such as intelligent Transportation system including automated fare collection, security surveillance system, Bus scheduling system ,vehicular location system and command and control system among others . The consultants briefed the meeting about the facilities to be provided to the commuters at each bus station to facilitate them which include walk through gates ,security cameras, wifi, real time passenger information display, public announcement system and validators.

A detailed lay out plan of the bus depot was also presented in the meeting. Bus depot contained separate areas for maintenance workshop, service area, resting area for drivers, admin block, parking bays, command and control centre and offices. It was decided that Bus depot will not only cater for the requirements of the Metro Bus service project but will also fulfil similar needs of the Islamabad Bus service project. One depot will provide a consolidated and comprehensive cost effective solution. This will bring savings to the exchequer also. A day care centre to facilitate female staff with children, small barrack for guards providing security to the facility and provision of special ramps, rails and separate rest rooms for differently abled persons were added in the facility and lay out plan was approved in principle in the meeting.

CDA chairman directed the Project Director and consultants of the project to ensure that procurement of buses is completed within 4 months period in order to extend this facility to the citizens of the capital in shortest possible time. As for infrastructure, instructions were issued that pre-engineered structures and steel frame construction to be followed so that completion of depot and control room is done in six months to meet deadline of March 23, next year to start operation of bus service.

The control room will not only cater for the airport project but also fulfil requirements of the Islamabad bus service and smart traffic management systems. It is pertinent to mention that tenders for procurement of buses have already been floated and now the tenders for construction of depot and systems will also be floated to meet the timelines.