ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (APP):The Punjab Mass transit Authority (PMA) has suffered a loss of Rs 42
million to-date on account of the 12-day closure of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service.
The Metro Bus has been dysfunctional since the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) Dharna, dubbed as Azadi March, was launched about two weeks ago in the Federal Capital.
It has not only been causing a heavy loss to the national exchequer but also creating trouble for the commuters, traveling daily from Rawalpindi to Islamabad and vice versa.
The local administration of Islamabad, in a letter issued on October 30, had asked the PMA to hand over the possession of the metro bus’ depot located near H-9 — a venue where the JUI-F was allowed to stage its protest, the official sources in the PMTA told APP on Monday.
The district administration sealed the metro’s depot before the arrival of Azadi March in the Federal Capital, they added.
“The authority generates revenue of some Rs 3.5 million per day through the Rawalpindi-Islamabad bus service and has lost some Rs 42 million in the last 12 days due to ongoing sit-in of the JUI-F,” they said.
Around 120,000 to 130,000 passengers travel in the twin cities metro daily, they added.
The sources maintained that the PMA was ready to start the bus operation if the depot was handed back to the authority while ensuring the security.
To a query, they said the fueling, maintenance and washing of buses were being carried out at the depot on regular basis. Without the depot, the authority could not operate the buses as they required regular maintenance, they added.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat confirmed that the depot was in custody of district administration and said it had held discussion with the PMA to again operationalize the metro service.
The district administration had asked the authority to arrange other workshops for the buses’ daily repair if they want to resume the services, he added.
Meanwhile, the residents of twin cities, were also bearing the brunt of this ongoing sit-in of JUI-F as they were forced to hire taxis and online ride-hailing services for traveling in the twin cities.
Sharjeel Khan, a resident of Peoples Colony, Rawalpindi said he had to reach his office, located at Sector I-9 and had to pay Rs 300 as a taxi fare to reach his destination.
He complained that the private vehicles had also taking the undue advantage of prevailing situation by charging high fares to the commuters.
