The Metro Bus service in Rawalpindi and Islamabad will remain temporarily suspended on Thursday, October 22, due to traffic arrangements for the ODI cricket match, according to a traffic alert.
The service will be suspended at 10:20am and is expected to resume around 11:50am.
During the suspension, the 6th Road, Khatam-e-Nabuwat and Faizabad stations will remain closed and are scheduled to reopen the following day.
The traffic alert also warned that team movement could begin any time after 11:05am, with a possible variation of 10 to 15 minutes.
Commuters have been advised to keep at least 45 minutes of extra time in hand before starting their journeys to avoid inconvenience.
Thursday’s match is the last scheduled in Rawalpindi, with the remaining matches to be played in Lahore. Further matches are scheduled in Islamabad from November 4 to 6 and in Rawalpindi from November 9 to 13, 2026.
Meanwhile, the president of the Maldives and his delegation are scheduled to depart, with VIP movement expected between the Red Zone and the New Islamabad International Airport. The movement timings have not been announced.
On the other hand, several escalators and lifts at Rawalpindi Metro Bus stations have reportedly become non-functional, creating serious difficulties for passengers, particularly elderly citizens and people with disabilities.
The malfunctioning facilities have made it difficult for commuters with limited mobility to access platforms and move between different levels of the stations. Passengers who depend on lifts and escalators for convenient travel are facing additional hardship due to the lack of properly functioning equipment.
An elderly person with a disability was recently seen struggling to climb the stairs at a metro station, highlighting the challenges faced by vulnerable commuters. The situation raises concerns about the accessibility of public transport facilities for people who cannot easily use stairs.
The Metro Bus service is an important mode of public transportation for residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, serving thousands of passengers daily. For elderly people, persons with disabilities and passengers with mobility problems, operational lifts and escalators are essential for safe and convenient travel.
The reported breakdowns have raised questions about the maintenance of station facilities and the arrangements in place to ensure accessibility for all passengers. Commuters expect the relevant authorities to take prompt notice of the issue and restore the non-functional equipment.
Passengers have called for regular inspections and timely repairs to prevent such problems from continuing. Ensuring that lifts and escalators remain operational is particularly important for those who cannot climb long flights of stairs without assistance.
The authorities concerned need to prioritise the repair and maintenance of these facilities to make the Metro Bus system safer, more accessible and more passenger-friendly, especially for elderly citizens and people with disabilities.
