Islamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday (July 18) decided to hand over the management and operations of the Islamabad Metro Bus Service to a private firm, news sources reported. The private firm will operate the bus service at a comparatively competitive rate along the route.
According to reports, the decision on entrusting the bus management service was made during a high-powered meeting, which was presided over by CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed and attended by other board members. According to the meeting, the new service provider would run metro buses cheaper than all other private enterprises in the country. Moreover, the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) was awarded a contract to better manage the routes of the Blue Bus Line (from Koral to PIMS) and Green Bus Line (from Bhara Kahu to the PIMS stop) and to build separate tracks for each bus services. The contract was awarded to FWO under PPRA regulations section (42) F, which allowed only government enterprises to compete on the project.
Due to the sensitivity and urgency of the situation, the CDA board awarded contracts to another government-run contractor, the National Logistic Cell (NLC), for the building of metro stations in multiple locations during the same meeting.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
