Rawalpindi: The district administration has approved two new public transport routes – connecting the city to Islamabad International Airport (IIA) – in order to facilitate commuters, according to news sources.
Meanwhile, another route between Rawat and Taxila has also been approved by the administration. Reportedly, the first route will start in Rawat and will cross through the Soan bus yard, Rawalpindi High Court, Fauji Foundation, district courts, Kutchery Chowk to IIA.
While the second route
will commence from Koral Chowk, passing through Gulzar-e-Quaid, Shah Khalid
Colony, old Benazir Bhutto International Airport, district courts and Kutchery
Chowk and finally to the airport. At Kuchery Chowk, both routes are expected to
converge and pass through Saddar, Qasim Market, Westridge, Johar Chowk and to
Kohinoor Mills before reaching the airport.
Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Mahmood underscored that since the inauguration of the airport two years, no effective public transport exists to connect the airport with the twin cities resulting in economic exploitation of commuters by transporters. A meeting has also been called to consult on the route fares.
Transporters
will have to acquire permits for the routes and will assure of ample space in
their vehicles to carry the luggage. To this effect, the Rawalpindi District
Transport Board (RDTB) had invited applications from transporters who intend to
seek permits for their vehicles between specified stops in Rawalpindi.
The suggested maximum fare amounts to PKR 200 while the minimum suggested fare amounts to PKR 50.
