Peshawar BRT: ADB experts express satisfaction over pace of work

Peshawar Development Authority completed the BRT project in a record time 15 months: ADB experts

PESHAWAR: Experts of Asian Development Bank (ADB) expressed their satisfaction on the provincial capital’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and declared it as being at par with international standards.

Projects of such nature were normally completed in 24 to 30 months all over the world, while Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) completed the BRT project in a record time 15 months, they said.

The ADB officials were interacting with the media during informal discussion over a test ride on BRT route with K-P Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai and other officials.

They said that the architects of the projects were facing issues in the design near the reach-1 and 2 (Gulbahar and Tehkal) which compelled the engineer to modify things at specific points keeping in mind the flow of the traffic in certain areas.

Responding to a query Yousufzai said: “we have no plan of running the project in front Sunehri Masjid (mosque), but due to protest and agitation of the traders’ unions we asked the PDA to run the elevated point opposite Saddar bazzar.”

On the security point of view, Peshawar is categorised as a red zone in the list of the red-zone cities of the world due to its security issues. This is the major reason international firms and donors are hesitant to invest here. However, Asian Development Bank investment in such a large scale project speaks volumes of the current provincial government’s success, Yousafzai said.

He went on to say that due to non-availability of technical labour in the province the government had to hire services of labourers and contractors from Punjab to ensure the quality of construction of the project, while ensuring to safeguard the heritage of the old city of Peshawar in the project.

On the regular changes being made on the project Yousufzai explained that the project, being the only one of its kind in the province, the city has been structured on new lines, and added that soon the fully operated project is to be inaugurated for the public.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2019.