Metro Bus resumes operation in twin cities

Rawalpindi : The Metro Bus service on Saturday resumed operation in the twin cities, after four-day suspension due to violent protests.

The Metro Bus Service between Rawalpindi and Islamabad remained suspended for four consecutive days after it was shut following the eruption of violent protests after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan. The service was suspended on May 9 after Shamshabad, 6th Road, and Faizabad metro stations were vandalised by the protesters.

The protesters also broke glasses and CCTV cameras and damaged the washrooms of the Committee Chowk Station. The protesters also looted nearly Rs0.5 million from the ticketing booth of the Sixth Road station. The whole station and ticketing booths were destroyed. The suspension of the metro bus service also caused over Rs100 million in losses to the exchequer.

More than 160,000 people travel in metro buses between the twin cities on a daily basis. The metro bus facility is a big relief for the working class, labourers, students, public servants and private employees who daily commute in Metro buses.

When Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, violent protests started in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and the protesters vandalised public and private properties and installations including Metro Bus Stations in the twin cities. The protesters had set the Sixth Road Metro Bus Station on fire. The public was facing difficulty commuting due to the suspension of the metro bus service in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Asif, a private employee said that he works in Islamabad and the Metro Bus was the best and easy way to reach his workplace on time. He said that due to the suspension of the service, he had to hire private transport which was making a big hole in his pocket.