CDA to expand electric bus fleet as passenger numbers hit one lakh

ISLAMABAD: The ridership of electric buses in the federal capital has crossed 100,000 passengers, prompting the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to expand the service.

In response to the growing public demand, CDA has requested 60 additional electric buses from the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC).

According to CDA officials, the authority plans to increase bus frequency on both near and far routes.

At present, buses on far-flung routes operate every 30 to 45 minutes, but CDA intends to reduce this interval to 15 minutes to accommodate the rising passenger load.

On intra-city routes, where a bus currently arrives every 15 minutes, the frequency will be improved to 10 minutes, making the service more convenient for daily commuters.

CDA said the request for new buses was made after a substantial increase in ridership. NRTC will now seek approval from the relevant federal ministry for purchasing the new fleet. Under the existing arrangement, CDA pays NRTC on a per-kilometer basis for the operation of electric buses.

Initially, the electric bus service was planned for 13 routes in Islamabad. However, due to high demand, the service is now operating on 18 routes.

The electric bus system was formally launched in the capital in December last year, and has since become one of the fastest-growing public transport initiatives in the city.