Govt considering expediting work on BRT, solving traffic issues, says official

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to form a high-level committee to speed up work on the Bus Rapid Transit project and solve the traffic jams problem so that the contractors’ vehicles can work properly for timely execution of the project.

An official, who is supervising the Bus Rapid Transit project, said the committee would monitor the pace of work for its timely completion and also make efforts to resolve the traffic problems due to the construction activities.

He claimed that the contractors have been working 24 hours daily, but the traffic problems at the workplaces were creating hurdles for their vehicles. “This is affecting work on the project,” he added.

The official stated that the government has also formed a strategy for countering propaganda about the project.

About fairness and transparency in award of the contract, he said the government had awarded the contract to the contractors shortlisted by the Asian Development Bank, which gave loan for the project. He said Maqbool Associates Private Limited, Ch Abdul Latif and Sons Private Limited and Sichuan Province Geological Engineering Company secured the contract to construct the project as a joint venture.

The official said that the contractors were well experienced as they had already worked in the construction of the Metro Bus in Rawalpindi-Islamabad.