RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has issued administrative approval to Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to start work on the bus depot and bus stations worth Rs1.5 billion for electric buses and asked it to complete the job within 11 months.

A senior official told Dawn that the work would start next month, and in this regard, RDA and Punjab Mass Transit Authority would hold a meeting to chalk out a plan for the execution of work.

He said the depot would be constructed at Siham on Peshawar Road, where 102 ele ctric buses would be accom-modated, adding that the RDA would execute the projectfor the construction of the bus depot and bus stops on behalf of the transport and masstransit department. He said the bus depot site was located near Pirwadhai Mor on Peshawar Road, with an area of 28 kanal to accommodate buses.

Rawalpindi city will get 102 e-buses for 10 new routes in the next year, and they will ply on different routes spanning 86 kilometres. It will connect Rawalpindi with the airport, the railway station, metro bus stations, and other parts of the garrison city.

`After completion of the construction work, the provincial government will send the buses,` said an official.

Through this project, the provincial government aims to reduce air pollution in the garrison city and cantonment areas as well as provide a modern transport system.

The transport system will be interlinked with the metro bus service in thetwin cities.

On the other hand, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has already allocated the 10 new routes for this project. Route 1 is from the Railway Station to the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench. Route 2 is from Koral Chowk to Fawara Chowk.

Route 3 is from Umar Baig Chowk to Mandi Mor. Route 4 is from Munawar Colony to Saddar. Route 5 is from Marrir Chowk to the Motorway Mor.

Route 6 is from Faizabad to Tramri Chowk. Route 7 is from the IJP Metro Station to Kuri Road. Route 8 is from Saddar to Lalarukh Colony.

Route 9 is from Umair Baig Road to Qadeemi Imambargah Muhallah, and Route 10 is from Saddar to Qabaristan.

A senior official of the transport department said that 28-kanal land identified in the PC-I for the development of the depot was already the property of the transport department.`Nespak has prepared a layout of the depot, which includes facilities, such as administration building, drivers` resting area, maintenance store, electrical room ground, pump room (firefighting), pump room (water supply), guard rooms, watch tower, two washing bays, and two transformers (e-charging) as well as e-charging points.

He said the project could integrate additional renewable energy sources, such as wind or hybrid systems, to complement the solar PV installations and ensure a more robust and diversified energy mix. This would reduce dependency on a single source and improve resilience during the low solar radiation periods, he claimed.

He said that the bus depot would accommodate 102 buses for feeder routes, adding that the Rawalpindi Development Authority would be the executing agency and the depot`s operations would be managed by the Punjab Masstransit Authority.