Can BRT be completed in this century!

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) observed on Tuesday that whether the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government would be able to complete the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in this century.

“When will work on this project be completed? Work on 26 bus stations is going on and it could also take years,” Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan observed while hearing a writ petition in which the petitioner raised several questions over the long delay in completion and deficiencies in the project.

The petition was filed by Supreme Court lawyer Muhammad Isa about removal of deficiencies in the BRT project as citizens are facing hardships due to establishment of underpasses and overhead bridges at a distance of 1,600 meters.

To a question about completion of the project, the additional advocate general submitted that work on completion of 26 stations was going on. On this, Justice Ibrahim Khan observed that whether work on BRT would be completed in this century?

The court once again directed the respondents to submit reply before October 16 – the date for next hearing in the case.

At the previous hearing, the court had issued a notice to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government through the secretary Transport and Mass Transit Department, project director for Project Management Unit, BRT Peshawar, and Provincial Departmental Working Party through its chairman.

The petitioner pointed out the deficiencies in the BRT project before the bench and stated that in Reach-III of the project at University Road, there are crossings at five places only, including Phase-III Chowk at Hayatabad, Gate No 2 at University of Peshawar, Town Chowk, Arbab Road and KFC Tehkal Payan, each at a distance of 1600 meters, which adds to congestion of the mixed traffic.

“There is no crossing for pedestrians at all. They will have to cover a distance of 1,600 meters to cross the road and the underpass at Jehangirabad has been closed for no reason. No drainage system has been provided at Reach-III. The service road has been merged with the main road,” the petitioner stated.

PDWP approves 91 projects

The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on Tuesday approved 91 projects at an estimated cost of Rs88038.381 million.

Shahzad Khan Bangash, the additional chief secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presided over the meeting. The meeting was attended by Khalid Ilyas, secretary P&D Department, members of PDWP, concerned departments and districts level officers of merged areas, said a handout.

The forum considered 100 projects pertaining to different sectors including Industries, Mines and Minerals, Information, Law and Justice, Urban Development, Roads and Bridges, Health, Auqaf, Higher Education, Elementary & Secondary Education, Relief & Rehabilitation, Water, DWSS, Home, Agriculture and AIP sectors for the uplift of the province and Merged Areas.

The forum approved 91 projects with an estimated cost of Rs 88038.381 million and schemes were deferred due to inadequate designs and were returned to their respective departments for rectification.

The PDWP approved 20 projects of Rs. 37230.42 million under the Accelerated Implementation Programme/Tribal Decade Strategy. This would usher in a new era of development in the merged areas which will help brining it at par with the rest of the province, said the communiqué.