Utility services on board to shift infrastructure for BRT

KARACHI:

Utility service providers are on board to shift some of their infrastructure that stands in the way of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Blue Line project.

Once this is done, the Blue Line project will help solve most of the transport problems of Karachi, said Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator Rauf Akhtar Farooqui. He was speaking at a meeting of utility services providers and KMC officials held at the committee room of Civic Centre on Wednesday. According to Farooqui, the Blue Line project will provide the best facility to commuters travelling from Sohrab Goth to Tower. He said that to ensure this provision, all utility services providers should come up with a plan so that the project can kick off on time.

The meeting was held to discuss the plans of the utility services that are hindering the progress of the project. The survey of utility services was completed in accordance with the documents provided by the project consultant and now there will be no barriers once the work on this project starts, the administrator was told.

Representatives of K-Electric, Sui Southern Gas Company, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd attended the meeting. KMC technical services director-general Niaz Ahmed Soomro, transport senior director Muhammad Ather and other officers were also present.

Farooqui appreciated the homework done by service providers to accommodate the project.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2014.