Pakistan, June 2 -- The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has increased the fare for electric buses in Islamabad from Rs50 to Rs100 per ride. The new fare applies to all routes served by the Orange, Green, and Blue Line buses, including the key sectors and airport routes. The change took effect on Sunday and affects roughly 16 routes across the capital city.

The CDA says the fare hike is essential to keep services running amid rising operational costs. Currently, it pays Rs350 per kilometer to the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), which operates the buses. Despite the fare hike, CDA will still need to provide an annual subsidy of Rs2.79 billion, down from Rs3.66 billion under the old fare structure.

With the rev...