Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus is a bus rapid transit system operating in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area of Pakistan. The Metrobus network's first phase was opened on 4 June 2015, and stretches 22.5 kilometres between Pak Secretariat, in Islamabad, and Saddar in Rawalpindi. The second stage stretches 25.6 kilometres between the Peshawar Morr Interchange and New Islamabad International Airport, and was inaugurated on 18th April 2022. The extension added 9 bus stations that include NHA Station, G-10 Station, NUST Station, G-1 Station, G T Road Station, Badana Kalan Station, Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and Islamabad-Lahore Motorway  Junction Station and Airport Station. The system uses e-ticketing and an Intelligent Transportation System, and is managed by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority. Construction. Construction of the bus rapid transit system began on 28 February 2014 and was completed by June 2015, with 60 buses initially plying on the route. The Rawalpindi Development Authority was tasked with overlooking the project with a cost of approximately , which was between the federal government and the Punjab provincial government. The initial date of inauguration was set for 28 February 2015, but was delayed work in construction of drainage channels. Ex-Prime Minister  Nawaz Sharif inaugurated Metrobus on 4 June 2015. Even after the service launch of the metro bus service, the issues regarding the drainage of rainwater still remained unfinished resulting in the inundation of the underground bus stations during monsoon rains. However, rainfall in the area was above normal throughout the year resulting in greater delay during construction. The project was initially divided into five packages, where Package-1 consisted of flyovers, bridges and pedestrian underpasses. The project was started on 23 April 2014 and was completed on 27 March 2015 incurring a total cost of as quoted by the contractor of  the project. The construction project was awarded to Habib Construction Services which is one of the largest construction companies of Pakistan and have worked on several other mega projects previously. The second line, from Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad International Airport was inaugurated on 18th April 2022 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Ticketing and fares. The system uses e-ticketing and Intelligent Transportation System wand. The system is managed by the Punjab Metrobus Authority (PMBA) with the IT part is being carried out in coordination with Punjab IT Board. Functional elements at the stations include ticketing booths, concourse level passenger  transfer, escalators, platform screen, public toilets, doors turnstiles for automatic fare collection and all other amenities for passenger convenience. A central ITS control room is also included in the project to control the whole operation of the Metro Bus system. Fleet. The current fleet consists of 68 articulated 18-meter-long high-floor buses. These buses were imported and supplied by VPL Limited from the China-based company Sunwin Bus, which is a Joint-Venture formed between SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC) and Sweden-based Volvo Bus Company, VPL Limited also happens to be the sole after-sales distributor for  both Volvo Buses and Sunwin Buses in Pakistan, among other products. Controversies and mishaps. The rainy season of 2015 exposed significant problems in drainage systems of the network. One of the worst affected stations was the PIMS metrobus station, with severe flooding affecting smooth operation severely. Similarly, cracks appeared after a minor earthquake in Rawalpindi, which raised questions over the structural integrity of the infrastructure used in the project. The long-term financial model to run the project and its utilization is a subject of serious controversy surrounding the project. Reports show that although 150,000 passengers were expected, the project  was unable to produce over 80,000 passengers in the long run. It became extremely difficult for management to afford fuel costs for 68 buses, and only 35 buses were utilized. This resulted in jamming and overcrowding during peak travelling hours. Another serious controversy surrounding project is its annual loss. According to official numbers, a single bus trip costs 9,100 PKR, while it earns only 2,600 PKR. This incurs a loss of 6,500 PKR each trip. The huge subsidy contributes to a 2 billion PKR loss every year, however raising the cost of tickets may result in total loss of already  dropping passengers. After heavy loans accumulated on the Punjab government in paying subsidies, it was decided in 2016 to divide the load between the Punjab government and Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the basis of length in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. However, CDA refused to pay for losses of Metro bus attributing to lack of funds in 2016. Federal government provided funds to CDA to shoulder the burden of Punjab Masstransit Authority in 2016. However, in 2017 the problem surfaced again, raising question marks on long term losses and the financial burden of this under utilized project. Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metrobus The