Work on Bus Rapid Transit stations enters final phase

Official says ADB inspection team expected next week

PESHAWAR: Work on the mass transit project in the provincial capital has moved closer to completion with the construction of the stations for the project now entering the final phase.

The move comes as a team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to arrive in the city to observe progress on the project.

As part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in the city, officials said that the government aims to build some 31 stations. These stations will be equipped with wi-fi wireless internet connectivity which passengers will be avail for free. Moreover, the government is looking to induct some 220 modern, air-conditioned buses for the project. The buses, though, will be inducted in phases.



Moreover, the provincial government has also started repairing and the thoroughfares affected by the construction of the BRT including the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road), Nothia Road and Khyber Bazaar Road.

On GT Road, the government is working on merging the service road with the main road. Measures have also been taken to protect the storm drain which passes through the area.

A spokesperson for the project management company stated that they are working around the clock on the project to complete it as soon as possible. The official added that all the contractors employed on the project were working to ensure international standards of the project.

Talking about delays in the project, which have seen its completion date pushed back by nearly a year, the official said that they took place due to expansions in the scope of the project. Moreover, he said that they had to work while keeping traffic on the affected roads plying without compromising on the quality of the structure.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2019.