ISLAMABAD: Electric buses imported from China will begin arriving in Islamabad on Tuesday and will operate on two feeder routes of the Metro Bus Service.
At a meeting chaired by CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, it was announced that the first batch of 30 electric buses will start arriving in the federal capital today. Initially, these buses will operate on two feeder routes. Feeder Route 7 will run from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to the Metro Bus stop at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Feeder Route 4 will run from PIMS to Bari Imam/Quaid-e-Azam University, with the bus service available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Subsidized fares will be provided for certain segments of society, including disabled individuals and students. It was also noted that a previous meeting had reported the arrival of 30 out of a total of 160 buses in Karachi, which have now been sent to Islamabad. The second batch of 70 buses is expected to arrive shortly.
The CDA has established a temporary depot with six electric chargers at the Convention Centre to accommodate the 30 buses. However, the agency faces potential challenges as more buses arrive, due to a lack of depots and chargers. The CDA has been in the tendering process for the establishment of two depots since December 2023, but the contract has not yet been awarded.
Media reports revealed that technical bids were opened in February, followed by the opening of financial bids, with the National Logistic Cell emerging as the lowest bidder. However, their bid exceeded the estimated costs, resulting in a delay in awarding the contract. There is a possibility that the CDA may issue a fresh tender.
