87pc work on Peshawar BRT completed: Shaukat Yousafzai

PESHAWAR: Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai on Wednesday said that 87 per cent work on Bus Rapid Transit project had been completed and the project would be handed over to the Transport Department after completion. “The project will be completed next year,” the minister told a press conference on the one-year performance of the Transport Department.

He said the Peshawar BRT project was cheaper than the Lahore’s Metro in context of expenses. “Lahore Metro buses are still on rent while the Peshawar BRT buses are its own purchased,” he said, adding, the provincial government's share is 13.116 billion and the Asian Development Bank and France Agency shares are Rs 53.211 billion.

He said the BRT includes an additional 68km of feeder routes. “Roads on both sides of the corridor are also built in the same project. The BRT consists of 13 km long elevated road and three km long underpasses,” he added.

The minister said the cost of the project increased by Rs3 billion due to expansion to Karkhanu Market but he said the KP government would not be burdened because of increase in the value of the dollar due to the savings made in the project.

The provincial minister said that mobile vehicle fitness stations are being set up in six districts Peshawar, Malakand, Abbottabad, Mardan, Kohat, and Dera Ismail Khan to check the fitness of the vehicles and mobile weighing stations are also being established in these districts for load checking.

He said that after completion of the BRT project, the old vehicle permit would be cancelled on this road and after that, the vehicle owners would decide whether they ask for a new route permit or sell it out to BRT for scrap. The minister said about 400 vehicle owners have registered vehicles with the BRT to scrap so far.

Shaukat Yousafzai said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transport Department had generated more than Rs2 billion revenue in the last three years. He expressed these views at a press conference on the one-year performance of the Transport Department. Secretary Transport was also present on the occasion.

The minister said the issuance of driving license, route permit, fitness certificate for the vehicle has been made possible within 45 days instead of 180 days which can also be tracked on the online tracking system.

He said that the Transport Department has issued special permits and routes in the tourist areas to promote tourism and facilitate tourists. Yousafzai said Qingqi rickshaws were also being regulated to make it easier for its owners as well.

The minister said the circular rail project has also been included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, while one window facilitation centres are being set up in the merged areas where all the facilities like issuing permits, licenses, etc will be provided.