Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Government of Punjab |
| Locale |
Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan Islamabad, Capital Territory, Pakistan |
| Transit type | Bus rapid transit (BRT) |
| Number of lines | 1 |
| Number of stations | 24 |
| Daily ridership | 150,000 |
| Website | Official website |
| Operation | |
| Operator(s) | Punjab Metrobus Authority |
| Technical | |
| System length | 24 km (14.9 mi) |
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus (Urdu: راولپنڈی اسلام آباد میٹرو بس) is a 24 km (14.9 mi) bus rapid transit under-construction in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.
The Reasons Behind Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project
Population Growth of The Capital
The capital city of Pakistan “Islamabad” is the ninth largest city in the country. The population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.30 million in 2012. Since its foundation, Islamabad has attracted people from all over Pakistan, making it one of the most cosmopolitan and urbanized cities of Pakistan and center of economic and service activities which attract people from all over the country.
Population Growth of Rawalpindi
Adjacent to the Southern edge of Islamabad lies the city of Rawalpindi. It is situated in the North Eastern part of the Potohar Plateau in North Punjab. Being Headquarter of Rawalpindi Division and a close neighbor of the Federal Capital, Islamabad, the population of Rawalpindi City has rapidly increased over the years.
Traffic Burden on Benazir Bhutto Road
Benazir Bhutto Road is one of the busiest and most preferred link between the twin cities due to its shorter length and direct approach. During the last few years there has been an unprecedented increase in vehicular traffic in the city, especially along Benazir Bhutto Road, resulting in severe traffic congestion on this route. This congestion causes excessive delays, environmental pollution and associated socio-economic problems for the daily commuters. Public transport is one of the major contributors in the traffic mix and the quality of service being provided is of poor standard.
Future Requirements of Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metropolitan Area
The greater Islamabad – Rawalpindi Metropolitan Area is the third largest conurbation in Pakistan with a population of over 4.5 million inhabitants. The Twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are growing at a rate of more than 4 percent per anum, indicating a higher than national growth due to significant migration. With present growth trends it is expected that the population would increase to 7.0 million in twenty years’ time. Since both cities have grown into each other, significant amount of commuting takes place between the two cities.
Requirement of Urban Bus Transport Service
Private transport is the major means of mobility between two cities. It consists of Mazda, Toyota Hiace, and Suzuki vans plying on various routes within and between the two cities. There is no organized urban bus transport service operating in the city and between cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Level of service offered by the minibuses is far below any acceptable standard. Traffic volumes of over 210,000 vehicles ply on three major corridors connecting both the cities carrying around 525,000 passengers. It is estimated that public transport demand of around 153,000 passengers is available on daily basis between the two cities. Interestingly this passenger demand is concentrated around a corridor which is of high density and strategically located to provide for reasonable patronage for a rapid transit system.
Joint decision by The Federal and Provisional Governments
Based on studies conducted by Government of Punjab and Capital Development Authority, the two governments (Federal & Provincial) joined hands to launch a Metro Bus project to connect the twin cities and alleviate the traffic congestion on this corridor. In a meeting held in Lahore on 19 January 2014, co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Chief Minister of Punjab, it was decided that the project shall be funded on 50:50 sharing basis by the Federal Government & Government of the Punjab. As the Punjab Government has already completed successfully a similar Metro Bus project in Lahore, Prime Minister of Pakistan decided that the Provincial Government will execute this project through Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) as the single executing agency for both parts of the project. It will work in close coordination with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the Islamabad Part of the project. Punjab Metrobus Authority (PMA) will control the operation & maintenance of the project after its completion. PMA will also coordinate with CDA at O&M stage of the project.
Planning and construction
Construction of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus began on February 28, 2014 and its expected to be completed by January 2015, with 60 buses initially plying on the route. The Rawalpindi Development Authority is overlooking the project with a cost of approximately Rs 34 billion, which will be shared by both the Federal government and the provincial government of Punjab.[1] The expected date of inauguration was February 28, 2015, which was delayed because of lack of planning for drainage of rainwater and slow rate of work leading to inevitable delays in the construction.
Signal Free
The entire length i.e. 8.6 km of Metro Bus corridor in Rawalpindi area shall be elevated structure whereas about 14 km in Islamabad shall be at-grade but made signal-free by constructing grade separations at various intersections.
Number of Stations
in the Rawalpindi Part and fourteen (14) in the Islamabad Part are provided along the corridor.
Functional Elements
Functional elements at the stations include ticketing booths, concourse level passenger transfer, escalators, platform screen doors turnstiles for automatic fare collection and all other amenities for passenger convenience.
Central Control Room
A central ITS control room is also included in the project to control the whole operation of the Metro Bus system.
Number of Lanes
Initially the provision of a 10 lane Underpass (2 Lanes for Metro Bus and 8 Lanes for mix traffic) along the 9th Avenue was proposed at Peshawar Mor intersection. Later on, in view of the traffic issues at Peshawar Mor intersection, ongoing Widening/Rehabilitation of Kashmir Highway & its link with new Islamabad Airport, it was decided to dovetail the Metro Bus corridor in the interchange already designed by CDA which will cost Rs. 6.75 Billion. The same will be simultaneously executed with Metro Bus Project.
Benefits of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project
Support local economies
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project, a Rs.44 billion project that opened in 2014, has been a catalyst for construction. The population has doubled in size in last few years, and is given credit for the downtown’s renaissance.
Attract business investments
In downtown Rawalpindi, it was recommended reducing traffic overload on congested Murree Road with flyovers. Even just after the changes were fully implemented, there was a great need of bringing solutions for the public’s transport.
Attract tourism
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project, has allowed the tourists both national and international, travel safely and enjoy the beauty of Islamabad.
Reduce crime
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project will help reducing crimes, as the safety of the bus service will help this tremendously.
Improve pedestrian safety
Chances of traffic accidents are very slim for the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project.
Increase use of public transportation
The successful completion of MBS will result in increase use of public transportation.
Improve public transport
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project will improve the public transport by leaps and bounds.
Improve the environment
Increased awareness of the importance of environmental issues demand a green project, which has been the case with Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project.
Route
The route is approximately 24 km (15 mi) in length and has 24 stations. When completed, it will have the capacity to carry 150,000 people daily.[2]
Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus | |
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Legend
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Fleet
68 Buses have currently been ordered
Companies Contracted To
The metro bus project has been contracted to several companies over a budget of almost 50 billion rupees (around 500 million US Dollars), and will be divided into three main categories, the main bids being given to ZKB, National Logistics Center, And Lemak Reliable Joint Venture.
See also
- Lahore Metrobus
- Multan Metrobus
- Karachi Metrobus
- Peshawar Metro
External Links
- Official Website
References
Listed in Dmoz.pk
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