Rs42.33b earmarked for public transport in Punjab budget

Major chunk of outlay to be spent on Lahore’s OLMT, including Rs40.8b funding by China

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has allocated Rs42.33 billion for the mass transit and transport sector for the financial year 2020-21.

The budget documents show that a major chunk of Rs42.01 billion will be spent on Lahore’s Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project, out of which Rs40.8 billion will be funded by China and the rest will be financed through local sources.

The provincial government earmarked Rs677.5 million for the OLMT allied works and support services, and Rs31.25 million each for land acquisition and structural compensation from Chauburji to Ali Town (Package II), from depot access to access road (Package III) and from stabling yard access to access road (Package IV).

A sum of Rs79.07 million has been allocated for the OLMT bridge finance facility to civil contractors of the LDA from the Bank of Punjab.

The budget documents indicate that Rs365.56 million has been earmarked for the clearance of liabilities for the construction of Multan Metro Bus project.

Similarly, a sum of Rs180 million was set aside for the establishment and construction of nine permanent weigh stations under the load axle management regime across Punjab.

The provincial government allocated Rs25 billion for third party services for the vehicle inspection and certification system. An additional Rs112.1 million was allocated for land acquisition for vehicle inspection and certification system.

The total cost of the OLMT project was estimated at Rs165 billion, including a soft loan of Rs150 billion through China’s Exim Bank. The previous PML-N government had indicated that the government will pool Rs15 billion through local resources.

However, owing to litigation, unplanned land acquisition and retendering for remaining works of the OLMT (Package-2), the local component of the project cost had already increased by Rs13 billion for which provincial authorities were trying to seek approval.

The OLMT project was part of the city metro network and when completed, it will connect Raiwind, Multan Road, Mcleod Road, Lahore Junction Railway Station and the Grand Trunk Road. It will be the first line of the Lahore metro project, which was the country’s first mass rapid transit train system.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2020.