News Details

20/06/2017

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has categorically stated the completion the rapid bus transit should not go beyond six months.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has categorically stated the completion the rapid bus transit should not go beyond six months. He showed resentment on certain tendering documents mentioning completion period of Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as eight months instead of six months. He made clear that this vital project of urban transport must be completed within six months period or earlier. He directed for charging heavy fines on the responsible persons in case of any delay in this regard. He issued these directives while presiding over a presentation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority here at Chief Minister House Peshawar that approved the bus branding, logo (slogans) and organogram of 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 Haji Dilroz Khan, Chief Secretary Abid Saeed, ACS Azam Khan, administrative secretaries, high ups of the concerned departments and organizations. The Chief Minister agreed in principle with request of the ADB mission for extending the last date of bidding of reach one and three of the project from 19th to 29th of this month due to certain technical reasons. He however made 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 ADB was providing Rs.41.881 billion for the project as compared to the provincial share of Rs.7.46 billion. Pervez Khattak further asked the concerned consultants to complete all the stations of the bus transit in attractive but same designs with state of the art architect. It may be mentioned that three consultants have been appointed for this mega project who 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 on the recommendation of ADB also agreed to construct the main transit route in strips wherein the middle one meter strip would be kept open for like grass while the remaining 3.5 meter strips on both sides would consist on metaled slates. He was told that such stripped route was used successfully in ten countries of the world that besides reducing the construction cost also added beauty of the corridor. The chief Minister said hiring of the necessary staff required for the construction work of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was being started. The project had four packages the first starts from the mainbus terminal Chamkani to Qila Balahisar, the second towards Aman Chowk, the third ends at Hayatabad while the fourth include construction of shopping plazas and other commercial buildings. He was told that 450 Air conditioned busses would ply on the transit route whose fare would be much economical for the commuters. Chief Minister directed that the minor changes in the original design of the rapid bus transit route should not hinder the timely completion of the whole project. He directed for accelerated efforts for the timely implementation and completion of the project directing the expeditious completion of the project as would never allow any delay whatsoever. He agreed to the third party validation of the original design prepared by Asian Development Bank. The meeting was briefed about the process of implementation with special reference to the engineering designs, colour combination, the width and length and the proposed widening of the bus stations. The meeting was also briefed about the project’s uniqueness as being the direct service operational model with main corridors length as 26 KM including the 6 KM elevated and 5 KM tunnel having 32 bus stations and integrating 68 KM feeding routes that the Chief Minister approved. Chief Minister also approved 150 shelters at the feeder routes, six storey commercial and parking plazas, the bike sharing system and the allied infrastructure for pedastarianization and others associated features as part of the project. Chief Minister drew a comparison between Peshawar Rapid Bus Transit with those in Punjab and Islamabad adding that it would be a sustainable project generating resources and would become a self sustaining and profitable project that would make Peshawar Rapid Bus Transit unique in features and facilities the world over. It would be the first ever golden standard third generation bus rapid system and its 26 KM long main corridor would cost Rs. 33 billion. It costs per kilometer as Rs. 1.27 billion as compared to Multan costing Rs. 29 billion as per Kilometer Rs. 1.566 and its length is 18.2 Kilometers. Peshawar Rapid Bus Transit cost is 23 % less than the Multan and the Islamabad Metro Bus cost is Rs. 50 billion with its corridor as 23.2 KM long with Rs. 2.155 billion per kilometer and is 70 % higher than Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit and the Lahore Metro as it cost is Rs. 60 billion, as 27 KM long with Rs. 2.222 billion per KM and 75% higher than Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit. Pervez Khattak approved Rs. 193 million compensation for the affectees of the project. He directed for the shifting and relocation of utilities on fast track at the main corridor. He also directed to raise greenery on the main corridor. He also directed that the main corridor would be the same presently used by commercial vehicles. Chief Minister also approved the architectural plan and the colour combination of the BRT and added that the commercial activities that were parts of the projects would make this BRT a self sustaining and profitable project. He directed the police, C&W, Irrigation and other departments to hold a meeting, identify their responsibilities and ensure that they have done it within time. Pervez Khattak directed to hire the required number of officials for the implantation phase of the project that should be followed by the hiring of operational personnel. He directed to prepare a financial model by the end of July adding that the financial model should also identify the way out for operational cost and the return of the principal amount adding that it would be a zero level subsidized project and directed to prepare the complete feasibility before May 15. Chief Minister agreeing to other prerequisites of the projects, directed to give final touches to the PC 1 of the project and send it for CDWP for clearance adding that he would personally talk to the relevant quarters for its approval. Pervez Khattak also okayed the construction plan of the shopping and parking plazas, the overall traffic diversion plan and the dates of the tendering. He directed to float the tenders on April 30. However, the tenders for the two packages should appear on 15th of April and the third one by the 30th of April. The meeting approved the relocation of utilities and the widening of corridor and 31 bus stations for the BRT. The Chief Minister directed to strengthen the existing infrastructure that might be partially shared by BRT. He also okayed the transfer of land in Hayatabad, Dabgari Garden, Bus Station etc. He directed to acquire land of 117 kanal in the main bus terminal at Chamkani for the first phase out of the total 900 kanal of land identified by the main bus terminal Chamkani. He directed for the transparent compensation and approved realistic elevation of bridges for the BRT. <><><><><>