No fare hike in Islamabad metro, electric buses: CDA

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has now denied the development about increased fares for metro and electric bus services in the federal capital. A CDA spokesperson clarified on Saturday that fares for Orange, Blue, Green, and electric bus routes remain unchanged.

Earlier, it was said that CDA had announced a 100percent increase in fares for Islamabad’s metro and electric bus services, dealing a blow to the city’s commuters. The new fares were to take effect from Monday (May 26), with one-way trips doubling from Rs50 to Rs100 across all routes.

The fare adjustment was to affect all metro lines including Orange, Green and Blue, as well as electric feeder buses operating on 17 routes throughout the capital. Notably, the Orange Line fare from N-5 to Airport was reported to have been increased from Rs90 to Rs100, while stop-to-stop fares for CDA-operated feeder buses have also been fixed at Rs100.

The move is expected to impact more than 90,000 daily commuters who rely on these services. CDA officials confirmed the hike, attributing it to rising operational costs, but offered no immediate relief measures for regular passengers.

The fare increase got Islamabad residents who were already grappling with rising transportation costs worried amid inflationary pressures in the country.