TransPeshawar CEO removed ‘for not completing BRT project on time’

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government dismissed the chief executive officer of TransPeshawar over charges of poor performance that reportedly led to the delay in the inauguration of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the city.

According to sources, KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak decided to remove TransPeshawar CEO Altaf Akbar Zaidi from duty after the latter refused to procure bus fleet worth Rs5.5 billion at a time when the BRT infrastructure and corridor were incomplete.

It has been said that the CEO was asked to transport the buses by road from China. However, Durrani refused to comply, saying that it would increase the cost of each bus by at least $30,000, besides affecting the warranty of the vehicles.

The CEO has also been reported to have informed the government that there was no depot for the hundreds of buses and the infrastructure was also not yet ready for the operation of the vehicles.

Durrani was specially called from Canada to Peshawar for BRT project since he had the experience of managing a similar scheme abroad, sources said.

KP CM Spokesperson Shaukat Yousafzai said Durrani was removed since he did not perform up to the mark and kept changing dates for completion of BRT project.

Durrani kept lying and eventually did not manage to inaugurate the project on May 1, Shaukat added.

However, removal of TransPeshawar from service would not affect the BRT project, Shaukat added. He claimed that the government stood by its promise of inaugurating the BRT system before elections.

A notification regarding Durrani’s removal has also been issued.

The decision to dismiss TransPeshawar CEO was taken after KP Cabinet briefed the chief minister on the matter.

In light of the Cabinet’s decision, KP Transport Secretary Kamran Rehman has directed the secretary of TransPeshawar’s board of directors to temporarily appoint a member of the board on the position.

TransPeshawar is a company responsible for the BRT project design, procurement, implementation, on-going BRT operations and service contract management.