PESHAWAR – The construction work on much acclaimed Bus Rapid Transport(BRT) Project has reached to final stage of completion as over 80 percentwork on its main corridor and passengers terminals were completed andhectic efforts are underway to inaugurate it on March 23, 2019 for generalpublic.
Transport Department officials told APP on Sunday that work on BRT, aflagship project of PTI Govt, was in full swing as over 80pc constructionwork on its cycle & motorcycle track, service stations and passengersterminals on Package-I i.e from Chamkani to Balahisar Fort has beencompleted.
The authorities accelerated work on different passengers’ terminals on mainBRT corridor after the recent surprise visit of Chief Minister KhyberPakhtunkhwa who directed its completion at earliest so that residents ofPeshawar and adjoining districts could get comfortable travelling facility.The official said hectic efforts were underway to complete remaining workby March 23.
After completion, BRT would provide state of-the-art communicationfacilities to more than 500,000 commuters daily at affordable rate besidesadd beauty of Peshawar with 2000 years old primitive history and home ofGhandara civilization. Under phase-II, BRT corridor would be constructedfrom Malik Saad Shahed flyover near Balashir Fort to Aman Chowk via KhyberRoad with a financial assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Green belts on both sides of BRT corridor are being restored while work onbeautification of main and service roads besides bridges were accelerated. Newplantations and flowers are being raised under bridges and flyovers on itsmain route and flowers are being planted on occasion of Plant of Pakistancampaign inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday.
All U-turns were opened for traffic and problem of traffic jams except atHasthnagri and Fridus area was addressed.
In addition to completion of about a kilometer long overhead bridge atFirdos Peshawar City, work on interchange bridges at Chamkani were alsocompleted. Construction activities on overhead passengers terminalsespecially in Cantonment and Tehkal area was accelerated that would likelyto be completed by March 23, 2019. The first shipment of 20 state-of-theart buses for BRT has reached Peshawar from Karachi and test trial wassuccessful performed at Hayatabad.
The official said about 220 buses will be purchased to ply on BRT route outof which 155 buses will be 12 meters long while 65 are 18 meters long,adding the current lot of buses consist of 12 meters long with capacity toaccommodate 75 passengers each will provide quality communicationfacilities to the residents.
Equipped with facility of Wifi, the buses is a unique feature of AutomaticVehicle Location (AVL) that will track real-time location of the bus. Thesehybrid environment-friendly buses would reduce carbon emission in the citybesides reduce 31000 tons of carbon emissions when compared to existingtransport system of Peshawar.
The most significant feature of the BRT bus is Universal Access System(UAS) with key factors used to globally rate and evaluate such transportsystems. These buses are low floor having ramps for wheelchairs to handlepeople with disabilities besides provide easy access of senior citizen.
Equipped with additional seat belts as per ISO standards, all hinges andramps of buses are adjusted to smoothen an access of wheelchairs till apassenger reach designated stop. The buses have a separate section forwomen as well as priority seats.
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“The proposal regarding raising of transport force was at an advanced stageto counter self-increased fare by transporters, environmental and noisepollution. The force will counter self-increased fare by transporters atlocal, regional and inter-provincial routes besides check vehicles’ fitnessbefore allowing its entrance on roads and vehicles prior of 1993registrations would be banned.”
The vehicles’ registration were divided in A, B,C and M categories as underM category vehicles prior of 2008 model would not be allowed to come onmotorways whereas in category A vehicles prior of 2003 registration wouldalso be banned on GT Road after failing to pass fitness test, he said.
In categories B and C vehicles prior of 1998 model and 2003 model’sregistrations respectively would be banned on GT Roads if they failed topass prescribed fitness test to be conducted by Vehicles Emissions TestingStations (VETS).
As many as nine VETS working under aegis of Transport Department issuefitness certificates to vehicles after examining its overall conditions andfitness.
The department has decided to impose heavy fines against all smoke emittingvehicles spreading pollutions and over charging passengers against Govtprescribed fare list.
The force will be given proper training about traffic laws, rules andregulations and would be fully equipped like Motorways, Excise and TaxationDepartments’ force.
To check fitness of passengers’ vehicles, strength of motors vehiclesexaminers would be increased at districts level and at least four examinerswould be deployed in all districts of the province.
Mobile wings stations of Transport Department would soon be establishedwith a mandate to check overloading and fare related issues on GT Road andMotorways and all vehicles carrying heavy load would be banned on nationalhighways and motorways to prevent its damage and increase its durability.
