CM to inaugurate work on Peshawar bus project on Oct 20

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday said that he would inaugurate the construction work on the Bus Rapid Transit project on October 20.

He was presiding over a meeting to discuss various timelines for the construction and completion of Bus Rapid Transit, its technical and financial evaluation, risk mitigation, the ADP loaning process, the release of resources, the award of contract to various contractors who qualified for the three packages under the project at Chief Minister’s Secretariat here, said a handout.

Advisor to Chief Minister for Transport Malik Shah Muhammad Wazir, MPA Shaukat Yousafzai, Chief Secretary Muhammad Azam Khan, administrative secretaries, head of SSU Sahibzada Saeed, representatives of Asian Development Bank and DG PDA attended the meeting.

The meeting also focused on the traffic diversion plan, the variation and additional stops and flyovers, the timelines for the construction of buildings, the legal requirements, the responsibilities of different executing agencies, the resettlement of displaced, the release of mobilisation advance to the parties, the procurement of buses, the hiring of operators/operating company, the pavement of additional feeding routes, etc.

The meeting was given three presentations that included the award of contract of road packages, updates on building package, selection of construction supervision consultant, revised land acquisition and resettlement plan, procurement of bus fleet for BRT and BRT operational plan/business model.

The 2nd presentation focused on the cost of reach one, two and three along with the eastern bus depot that included Rs142 million, Rs3.445 million, Rs1.0087 million, Rs1065.88 million, respectively.

The 3rd presentation was on operational design starting from the main terminal Chamkani to Phase-V Chowk Hayatabad. The buses would include 18 meter for on corridor and 12 meter for off corridor.

The chief minister approved the execution plan for the timely completion of Bus Rapid Transit Project, adding that it was a mega project that would resolve all the traffic congestions and problems in the whole Peshawar City. He said that the design both financial and operational should be completed in all respect.

The practical work on the project would take off this month and directed that all details, required for the project should be finalised immediately.

He asked the relevant quarters to simultaneously start work on different parts of the project that included the traffic diversion plan, sensitisation of the executing agencies, the coordination among different departments for the timely launch and completion under the time lines. 

He also agreed to the phasing out of buses and directed to complete the required level of construction in main terminal Chamkani, Hayatabad and Dabgari Garden. He also directed to start work on the bus stops once the launching of the project is done.