KP approves Rs18bln for transport

PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Transport Malik Shah Muhammad Khan Wazir has disclosed that Rs18 billion have been approved for Peshawar bus rapid transport and two other mega transportation projects in the upcoming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa proposed budget 2016-17.

In an interview with APP on Wednesday, Malik Shah Muhammad said the proposed bus project was a part of the Mass Transit System (MTS) in Peshawar starting from Chamkani Motorway Interchange to Hayatabad, and would be completed by December 2017 with financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB would provide the loan for these projects at one percent mark up, payable by 2030, he explained.

Five different corridors would be established under the proposed project to make the flow of the city traffic smooth, besides providing quality transport services to the residents of Peshawar. The project would ease the traffic load on intercity roads of the provincial capital.

In the first phase, Malik said 100 air-conditioned buses would be brought for which pre-qualification tenders from interested international companies were already received.

The buses would arrive in Peshawar within six months, for which all modalities, including its fare routes and passenger stops were being finalised, he told APP.

About new projects proposed in the budget 2016-17, Malik said a state of the art model Peshawar Transport Complex and Peshawar Trucks Terminal were being proposed in the upcoming budget, besides other new projects that would revolutionise the transport sector.

“We will construct commercial plazas on the existing Haji Camp transport stand on GT Road, Peshawar and the revenue generated from it will be used for the uplift of the transport sector,” he said.  He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was enacting legislation to bring rent a car business under the tax net.

The special assistant said action against illegally operating driving schools and rent a car services have been started in the province. He asked all the driving schools to register themselves, otherwise strict action would be taken against them under the law.