Rapid bus transit to be completed in six months: KP CM

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has stated that completion of the rapid bus transit should not go beyond six months.

The chief minister was speaking at the presentation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority at the Chief Minister’s House. The meeting approved the bus branding, logo and organogram of the project, said a handout.

The chief minister expressed resentment on certain tendering documents mentioning completion period of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to be eight months, instead of six months. He made it clear that the project urban transport must be completed within six months period or earlier. He directed officials to fine the responsible persons in case of any delay in the project.

The meeting, besides the Asian Development Bank (ADB) mission led by its regional director, was attended by Senior Minister Sikandar Sherpao, Minister Transport Shah Muhammad Wazir, Focal Person of Chief Minister on Peshawar Mega Projects Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, District Nazim Peshawar Arbab Asim Khan, Chairman Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell Dilroz Khan, Chief Secretary Abid Saeed, ACS Azam Khan, administrative secretaries, representatives of the concerned departments and organisations.

The chief minister agreed in principle with request of the ADB mission for extending the last date of bidding of the project from 19th to 29th of this month due to certain technical reasons. He, however, made it clear that the project must be completed within the specified framework just in time or much earlier according to international criteria. He was told that the ADB was providing Rs41.881 billion for the project as compared to the provincial share of Rs7.46 billion.

He asked the concerned consultants to complete all the stations of the bus transit in attractive but same designs with modern architect.

The statement said three consultants have been appointed for the mega project and they have been assigned separate sections of coordination, operation design, business model (ODBM) and construction plan. The chief minister asked them to work round the clock for completing the project on international standards and ensuring facilitation of public and smooth passage of the traffic during the construction work.

He said hiring of the necessary staff required for the construction work of the rapid transit was being started.

The project has four packages, the first starts from the main bus terminal at Chamkani to Qilla Balahisar, the second towards Aman Chowk, the third ends at Hayatabad while the fourth includes construction of shopping plazas and other commercial buildings. He was told that 450 air-conditioned busses would ply the transit route whose fare would be much economical for the commuters. The chief minister also approved 150 shelters at the feeder routes, six-storey commercial and parking plazas, the bike sharing system and other associated features as part of the project. Pervez Khattak approved Rs193 million compensation for the affectees of the project. He also approved its architectural plan and the colour combination.