ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is set to launch an electric bus service in Islamabad, aiming to kickstart operations with 30 buses on two main routes within the city.
The inauguration is scheduled for July 5 and is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
The service will commence on the routes from ‘Nust to Pims’ and ‘Pims to Bari Imam’. The ‘Nust to Pims’ route spans approximately 13 kilometers and includes 13 stops, with buses arriving every 10 minutes.
The ‘Pims to Bari Imam’ route will traverse through major areas such as G-7, G-6, Melody, Aabpara, Ataturk Road, Serena Hotel, the Foreign Office, Radio Pakistan, and the Diplomatic Enclave.
These electric buses, which arrived in Islamabad last month, are part of a broader plan to integrate 200 buses into the city’s transport system.
An additional 70 buses are anticipated from Karachi and 60 more from China. Ultimately, the CDA plans to operate these buses across 11 routes, enhancing connectivity between rural and urban sectors of Islamabad.
Owned by the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defence, the buses will be managed in partnership with the CDA, which will cover operational costs ranging from Rs306 to Rs331 per kilometer.
Infrastructure to support the new fleet includes a charging station at the Convention Centre equipped with six charging points, and another facility is underway at the H-9 metro depot to accommodate the 70 buses arriving from Karachi. The CDA is also developing bus depots at Zero Point, I-9, and Tramri to support this green initiative.
