Islamabad The Package-II of the Metro Bus Service Project, the Peshawar Morr Site, would take at least another one month to be completed, stated Project Manager Major (r) Tajamul Hussain here on Thursday. Talking to ‘The News’ on the Metro Bus Service Project, he said that the Package-II includes an interchange at Peshawar Morr. He dispelled the impression that the work on Peshawar Morr Interchange would last till March. “It would be completed in February and the project would be functional before March 23,” he said. However, he refused to comment when asked whether work on other packages of the project would also be delayed and would not meet the deadline. He said that other packages are not his concern. However, on the directions of Metro Bus Service Project Implementation Sub-Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi, who he said is very strict, other contractors are carrying out work on other packages speedily in order to meet the deadline of January 31. However, credible sources on Thursday claimed that work on the project would take another two to three weeks before it is completed. Sources further claimed that the project would not meet the deadline of January 31 because of Package-II of Rawalpindi starting from Waris Khan. Metro Bus Service Project Deputy Director Hafiz Muhammad Irfan did not look confident even to tell whether the work would be over as per schedule. He, however, defending the position of the authorities and the provincial government told this scribe that all-out efforts are being made to complete the project on time. He said that the NLC authorities have also expedited work on Package-II, Rawalpindi, to get it completed as per deadline. He said that work on other components like carpeting and reconstruction of the entire Benazir Bhutto Road would start shortly. The work on another component, including laying of new drainage and sewerage pipelines, is being done round the clock. The work on construction of bus stations is also being carried out at a fast pace. However, the elevated portion starting from Mall Road to Faizabad would be completed and buses would start operating according to the scheduled time. He said that the process of procuring buses is underway and buses would start reaching Pakistan this week. “With the completion of the entire project, not only the task of better and improved transport system would be achieved but the entire Rawalpindi city would become a model one,” he added. He did not agree with a question that with the change in government, The Metro Bus Project would receive a maltreatment from the successive governments like the old GTS bus scheme. He vowed that the entire system would move on smoothly, including its operation and repair as well as maintenance system. The required staff would be recruited by the Punjab government, he said. Moreover, the project has become the Metro Bus Authority which will run by the Punjab government. The Metro Bus Project could be converted into Metro Train Project according to the future needs.
