The government has released funds for section of Islamabad metro bus leading to airport and the project would be completed by December this year. The federal government plans to complete the Peshawar Mor-New Islamabad International Airport section of the metro bus service project by December. To facilitate this end, the centre has decided to release a sum of Rs 50 million by June 30. For the current fiscal year, the authorities concerned had earmarked funds worth Rs 2.5 billion for the project. So far, only an amount of Rs 1 billion has been released. The government will sanction Rs 50 million by June this year, followed by the release of the remaining funds worth Rs 1 billion.
The previous government had earmarked funds worth Rs 16.42 billion for the metro bus service. It had released Rs 6.45 billion last year. Moreover, it allocated Rs 9.96 billion for the fiscal year 2018-19.
Earlier, the entire project was expected to be completed by August 14, 2017, in line with directions from the then prime minister to compliment the newly-built airport. It is also noted that according to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study of the MBS project conducted by the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK), around a thousand trees of up to 110 years had become prey to the Metro Bus Service (MBS) which is being extended from Peshawar Mor to connect the city to the New Islamabad International Airport (NIIA).
The metro bus extension has two parallel lanes constructed along the Kashmir Highway and the motorway. There are some new flyovers or underpasses added on the Kashmir Highway and the motorway.
According to the extension, two main interchanges have been constructed at Golra Mor and N-5 (GT Road). The project of 26.5km would be divided into two packages - Peshawar Mor to G-13, and from G-13 to the N-5 Interchange. Construction of four interchanges and 14 stopovers (stations) is also part of the project.