Unidentified Persons Damage Electric Bus Stops in Rawalpindi, Police Launch Investigation
RAWALPINDI – Unidentified persons have damaged various bus stops of the electric bus service in the garrison city, prompting the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to lodge a report with police against those who destroyed the public facility.
A senior official of the district administration told media that some unidentified individuals damaged bus shelters at various locations, following which local police were requested to check surveillance cameras under the Safe City project to identify the culprits.
“As in Liaquat Bagh, cameras were installed at the electric bus stop and metro bus station. But some cameras were missing from various places,” he said.
The RMC submitted an incident report to police, which launched investigations. “Many suspect that some political opponents of the Punjab government damaged the shelters,” the official added.
RMC Municipal Officer Rafaqat Gondal confirmed that various shelters at Liaquat Bagh, Shamsabad, and other electric bus stops had been damaged. “We have submitted reports to various police stations, including New Town and Banni,” he said.
He added that the RMC also informed the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), as the management of electric buses and bus shelters is the responsibility of the RTA and Punjab Mass Transit Authority. The RMC had executed the project to construct the bus shelters.
RTA Secretary Asad Shirazi said local police had launched an inquiry and would seek help from surveillance cameras. He said the local administration had been asked to repair the damaged shelters as people were suffering. The provincial government also sought a report on the incident.
Shirazi noted that bus shelters had also been damaged in other parts of the garrison city, including areas under the administrative control of the district council. “Apparently, it was a planned attempt to damage the bus service, which has been successful in the area, and people — especially women — are getting better travel facilities,” he said. He added that ridership of electric buses was increasing daily.
It may be noted that electric buses are one of the flagship projects of the PML-N-led Punjab government and have become popular among residents, as women, students, and elderly people travel free of charge.
Currently, 45 electric buses are operating on seven routes in Rawalpindi, while the provincial government is working to bring 35 more buses for three additional routes.
Route details include: seven buses from Saddar to Qabristan Chowk on Misrial Road via Qasim Market and Shalley Valley (7 km); eight buses from Fawara Chowk to Koral Chowk via Liaquat Bagh, Sir Syed Road, and Old Airport Road (11.3 km); seven buses from Saddar Metro Bus Station to Munawar Colony via Tulsa Road; and 14 buses from Marrir Metro Bus Station to Motorway Chowk via The Mall and Peshawar Road (13.1 km)
