Transport in Islamabad

A road sign in Islamabad

The transport system in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, connects it with all major cities and towns via regular trains and bus services running mostly from the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi.

Lahore and Peshawar are linked to Islamabad through a network of motorways which has resulted in a significant reduction in travelling times between these cities. M-2 Motorway is 367 km long and connects Islamabad with Lahore,[1] whereas M-1 Motorway connects Islamabad with Peshawar and is 155 km long.[1] Islamabad is linked to its twin city Rawalpindi through the Faizabad Interchange, the first cloverleaf interchange in Pakistan, with a daily traffic volume of about 48,000 vehicles (2011).[2]

Road transport

7th Avenue Islamabad

Territorial Roads and Highways

Main article: Territorial Highways of Islamabad Capital Territory

Motorways

Main articles: M-1 motorway (Pakistan) and M-2 motorway (Pakistan)

M-2 Motorway is 367 km long and connects Islamabad with Lahore.[1] M-1 Motorway connects Islamabad with Peshawar and is 155 km long.[1]

National Highways & Expressways

Public transport

Public transport network in Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area

Local buses and wagons

A model bus stop at Kashmir Chowk (Adjacent to Islamabad Club)

The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration operates buses to serve the local community. As of 2021, there are 15 operational routes along which the buses and wagons operate.[3]

Metrobus

Main article: Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus
Map of Rawalpindi - Islamabad Metro Bus
Metrobus Station Islamabad

The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus is a 48.1 km (29.9 mi) bus rapid transit system operating in the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area of Pakistan. It consists of four routes, namely the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green Lines. The Red and Orange Lines have dedicated lanes with proper stations built along them,[4] while the Blue and Green Lines currently run along the Islamabad Expressway and Srinagar Highway respectively, with regular traffic.

Line Operator Opening date Length Route Number of stations Number of buses Frequency Journey time (end to end) Notes
Red PMA and CDA 4 June 2015 22.5 km (14.0 mi) Pak Secretariat – Saddar 24 68 Every 4 to 8 minutes during daytime hours (06:00-20:00) [5]
Orange CDA 18 April 2022 25.6 km (15.9 mi) Faiz Ahmed Faiz Station (H-8/2) – Airport 7[6] 15[7] Every 5 minutes[8] [9][10]
Blue 7 July 2022 20 km (12 mi) PIMS – Gulberg 13 10 One hour [11]
Green 7 July 2022 15.5 km (9.6 mi) PIMS – Bharakau 8 5 [11]

Sightseeing buses

The Tourism Development Corporation Punjab operates tourist buses from Allama Iqbal Park and Shamsabad bringing tourists to Constitution Avenue via Shakarparian. The main attractions on the bus route include Faisal Mosque, Marghrzar Zoo, Daman-e-Koh, Constitution Avenue, Lok Virsa, Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Shakarparian, Rose and Jasmine Garden, Allama Iqbal Park, and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.[12]

Light rail transit and monorail proposals

Some Chinese firms have shown keen interests on constructing a monorail and light rail system in the federal capital Islamabad.[13][14]

Public transportation issues

Surveys conducted in 2012 for the Pre-Feasibility Study of the Bus rapid transit have shown that more than 90% of residents of the city are unhappy with the current public transportation system of the city.[15]

The lack of a better public transport system and low emphasis on walkability has led to rapid growth in the vehicle population and has made the city planning more automobile-centric to cope with increasing traffic. The accompanying petroleum consumption and the now car-centric city planning - accompanying the rapid expansion of city have also caused environmental pollution and damage.[16][17][18]

Private transport

Ride hailing

People use private ride hailing services like Careem, Uber, Bykea, and InDriver for their local journeys. In March 2016, Careem introduced its service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. In September 2019, Swvl expanded its operations to Islamabad.[19]

Pakistan's first electric scooter sharing service, ezBike, is headquartered in Islamabad.[20]

Taxicabs

Most of the registered Taxicabs in Islamabad were introduced during 1990s through loan packages from Yellow Cab Scheme.[21] There are also some privately-owned taxicab services such as those offered by Albayrak and Metro Radio Cab.[17][22]

Bus companies

Daewoo Express and several other bus transport companies also operate in Islamabad.

Rail transport

Islamabad railway station

The following stations serve Islamabad by rail:

Air transport

Islamabad International Airport

Islamabad is connected to major destinations around the world through the Islamabad International Airport, which replaced the old Benazir Bhutto International Airport in April 2018.[24] The new airport is the largest in Pakistan. It is the first green field airport in Pakistan and has an area of 3,600-acre (15 km2).[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d National Highway Authority Pakistan. "Motorway's of Pakistan".
  2. ^ NESPAK. "Faizabad Interchange". Archived from the original on 10 August 2011.
  3. ^ "Public Transport Fares". ICT Administration. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Metro Bus extension: NHA assures timely completion". The Express Tribune. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Metro bus project: Capital's civic managers cave in to pressure from Punjab govt". The Express Tribune. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Islamabad Starts Trial of Orange Line Metro Bus Service". INCPAK. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  7. ^ "CDA to hand over metro bus service operations to private company". The News International. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  8. ^ "PM inaugurates Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport". Dunya News. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  9. ^ "وزیراعظم نے5 روز میں اسلام آباد میٹرو بس ائیرپورٹ تک چلانےکا حکم دیدیا". urdu.geo.tv. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  10. ^ "PM Shehbaz Sharif confident his 'speedy work' will frighten ex-premier Imran Khan". GEO News. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Green, Blue line metro bus services to start operation in next 45 days: CDA". Dawn. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Guided tours on double-decker buses to launch in Islamabad and Rawalpindi". Islamabad scene. 16 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Chinese firm sees monorail service feasible". The Express Tribune. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Chinese firm offers to build light rail in Islamabad". ProPakistani.
  15. ^ Pre-Feasibility Study on Bus Rapid Transit Project Islamabad, Pakistan (PDF).
  16. ^ Kamal, Shahid (2 April 2018). "Quality of air in Islamabad declining". Dawn. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  17. ^ a b Minagi, Hinako (22 May 2021). "Transportation in Islamabad". Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Billions wasted on faulty road projects". Weekly Pulse. 4 February 2011. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  19. ^ "SWVL to invest $25m to fund in Pakistan". Samaa TV. 3 November 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Pakistan's first 'electric bike sharing service' launched in Islamabad". Pakistan Today. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  21. ^ Bokhari, Farhan (1 September 1993). "Yellow Cab Scheme Hits Financial Hurdles". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Pakistanis worry as online taxis get expensive". Samaa TV. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Golra Railway Station, museum not appealing any more". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  24. ^ "'Nothing is impossible': PM Abbasi inaugurates Islamabad International Airport". Dawn. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  25. ^ CPG Corporation. "New Islamabad International Airport's Passenger Terminal Building". Archived from the original on 21 November 2007.