Updated: Nov 1, 2021
Capital Development Authority (CDA) has hired consultants to design facilities for the new shuttle service from Rawalpindi to Islamabad International Airport. The new service will be launched in the first quarter of the next year.
According to reports, the next four months will be utilized to procure new buses, the construction of a command and control centre, the construction of a bus depot and smart traffic management system to monitor traffic violations and passenger overloading. The new bus depot will be constructed on Peshawar Morr at a cost of PKR 800 million. The same bus depot will also be used to park buses that will run on different routes in future.
The process of procuring 45 new buses has also been initiated that will run on this route. The infrastructure work on the route will be done by National Highway Authority (NHA). Furthermore, equipment for ticketing, security surveillance and command and control centre is yet to be procured.
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The new Islamabad International Airport is located on the outskirts of the capital city. Even though the location is favourable for airport operations, passengers and staff have to travel long distances and spend thousands of rupees to reach there. In order to provide convenience and ease to the people, Rawalpindi District Administration has approved a new shuttle service to Islamabad Airport, which will be air conditioned, affordable and operational round-the-clock.
Importance Of Shuttle Service To And From Islamabad Airport
Islamabad International Airport is located about 20 kilometers from the centre of Islamabad City and 23 kilometres from the centre of Rawalpindi. The distance may not seem a lot but during the rush hour, the time to reach the destination increases significantly, including the cost if you are using a taxi. If passengers or staff use public transports, they have to change multiple busses to reach the airport depending upon their current location.
According to a popular newspaper in Pakistan, passengers have to pay up to PKR 3,000 during the day and up to PKR 4,000 at night if they are travelling to Islamabad Airport. Similarly, due to the absence of direct public transport to and from Islamabad Airport, the employees working at the airport have to change three to four busses to reach their destination which accumulates a lot of cost for them.
The decision of launching a shuttle service to and from Islamabad Airport was much needed because of which they can now take direct transport to their destination at affordable fares.
Route Of Bus Service
The new bus service will be launched on two routes in order to cover maximum areas and for people travelling from these areas to Islamabad Airport. One route will start from Rawat while the other route will begin from Gulzar-e-Quaid in Rawalpindi and both will end at the same destination i.e. Islamabad International Airport.
The Rawat Route will have five stops which are Sawan Camp, Kutcheri, Mall Road, Peshawar Road and finally Islamabad Airport. The busses on the Gulzar-e-Qaid Route will travel via old Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Sawan Camp, Kutcheri, Mall Road, Peshawar Road and the Islamabad Airport. Passengers who are travelling from Islamabad will travel from the Pakistan Secretariat directly to Islamabad Airport.
Timeline And Fares Of Travelling
The much-needed transport service in twin cities that travels on the route to Islamabad International Airport is a step in the right direction. The launch of the shuttle service has been approved by the Rawalpindi District Administration. While talking to the newspaper, the Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan told that currently preparations are being done to make the bus service operational.
The shuttle service will be fully operational and be launched within the next two months. Since employees and passengers travel all day and night to the airport, the bus service will be fully air conditioned and operational round-the-clock. However, the fares of the bus service have not yet been decided and will be disclosed later.
Reportedly, two private transport companies have also shown interest in running their busses on this route but details of that are still not final. This is all about the new shuttle service that will soon be launched for passengers and the public to reach Islamabad Airport.
On a separate note, you can also check out our guide on New Electric Bus Service in Islamabad, which the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with the Federal Government is planning to launch in Islamabad. This is a first-of-its-kind transportation project in the country that will save around 30,000 barrels of fuel which is roughly cost at PKR 500 million a year.
This is all for now. Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more government initiatives in the country to facilitate the public. You can also write to us at blog@zameen.com and don’t forget to subscribe to Zameen Newsletter for updates on the property sector of Pakistan.
