Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has shown its concerns over old signboards of Benazir Bhutto International Airport, displayed alongside various streets of the federal capital.

Though a letter dated June 23, available with Daily Times, Engineer Muhammad Anwar who is the airport manager wrote to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman calling for change of direction of signologies of the new airport.

“Since shifting of operation to new the Islamabad International Airport with effect from May 3, 2018, the existing direction of signs at various places particularly at Islamabad Highway, 7th, 8th, 9th Avenue are still pointing the direction towards the old airport, causing confusion for general public and dignitaries intended to approach towards the newly built one,” read CAA’s letter, addressed to CDA.

“Kindly direct the concerned departments of CDA to coordinate with this office to replace and rephrase such signologies for the convenience of passengers and the general public,” read the letter.

The newly constructed Islamabad International Airport (IIA) was inaugurated by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi recently.

This airport is situated at some 30 kilometre distance from old Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad. This international airport was constructed after spending over Rs 100 billion, but concerned authorities failed to install new signs boards across the roads headed to it to facilitate passengers.

Old signs boards are installed in different locations in twin cities including some busy roads such as Kashmir Highway.

It is relevant to note that apart from signboard issues, the passengers traveling to the new airport also face another big challenge – which is a lack of public transport.

Currently, there is no public transport facility for residents of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to reach the new airport.

The metro bus track from Peshawar Mor to IIA has not been completed, and there is also no public bus service to facilitate citizens travelling to the new airport as government had decided to inaugurate IIA before the metro bus track from Peshawar Mor to the airport – which is 20km from Zero Point and 25km from Saddar.

The metro bus track is said to be completed soon.

Published in Daily Times, June 28^th 2018.