Experts demand seamless transportation system amid Capital's growing population.

ISLAMABAD -- The experts at a dialogue on Tuesday stressed the need for a seamless and well-planned transportation system that could help provide the public affordable, accessible, environment and human friendly mobility.

The Dialogue on National Transport Policy 2018 and Implementation was organised here by Institute of Urbanism (IoU) in collaboration with the Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HbS) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Secretariat here at the Parliament.

While chairing the dialogue in lie off Convener National SDGs Taskforce, Romina Khurshid Alam, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said there was a structural issue in ensuring safer mobility amid gender quality in the federal capital which should be resolved through expert and innovative interventions of the concerned.

She suggested that the Capital Mass Transit Authority (CMTA) should hold a detailed assessment on the impact of mass transit Metro Bus facility to check decline in privately owned car users after increased ridership of public facility. The impact assessment of Metro Bus should also study women accessibility to the transport facility, she added.

The SAPM also sought the Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials to widely display the Metro Bus routes map across the Capital for massive public awareness.

She added that monitoring and evaluation of policy goals set under such initiatives should be done and also vowed to ensure expedited action on Capital Mass Transit Authority Bill 2021.

Senior Programme Fellow, IoU, Dr Ejaz Ahmad in his opening remarks briefed the chair and participants about the Institute and its endeavours so far.

He informed that there were many dialogues held previously in which the parliamentarians' role and participation was imperative. He highlighted that the key thematic areas of focus of the Institute were redefining urban mobility, sustainable consumption patterns, eco-entrepreneurship and solid waste as a resource.

'The IoU have conducted different studies and surveys to research on public response on available transport systems and their demands. Lack of parking facilities and encroachment of green belts in the capital for converting them into parking lots has been a serious concern in the Capital.'

Programme Coordinator, IoU Ayesha Majid presented a detailed overview of National Transportation Policy 2018. She said the transport sector had a huge carbon footprint in Pakistan whereas...