Provincial cabinet during its meeting here on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposed draft of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mass Transit Act 2016, which was prepared with the assistance of a team of experts, proposed by Asian Development Bank.
In light of the proposed Act, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority would be established with an objective to regulate mass transit system in provincial capital Peshawar, said Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman while briefing media persons regarding decisions of the provincial cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak here.
The Minister said the proposed authority would be empowered to set up urban transport companies, which would have an autonomous Board of Directors. The authority will be headed by Chief Minister and Provincial Minister for Transport as chairman and vice chairman respectively. He added the proposed authority would be consisted of 14 members from Members of Provincial Assembly and from civil society.
He explained the authority would devise policies as per international standard and will establish mass transit system across the province. He said a sum of Rs 25 billion had been estimated for Mass Transit project, which would be formally executed in 2017, with completion of timeframe of one-year (2018). He said the more than 100 buses would be acquired for the project, which would be run from Chamkani to Karkhano via grand trunk road. He said the feasibility study had been initiated for the proposed bus rapid transit.
Flanked by Director Information, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Shoaib, and other officials, he clarified that the matters regarding to transport and others related issues were resolved under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 and Motor Vehicle Rules 1969. But, he said, there was dire need of some rules for the mass transit system.
The meeting, the minister said, had also discussed regarding driving license issue. It said the provincial cabinet had already made decision into the matter that transport department would issue commercial driving licenses, while traffic police department would be authorised to issue non-commercial licenses. Shah Farman said the forest duty on Chilgoza (pines), beverages and mushroom (morels) had been decreased, adding the levy was imposed as per Khyber Pakhtunkwha Forest Ordinance 2002 on dry fruit items.
The provincial cabinet has also given approval of recommendations for making changes in the proposed draft bill, regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Private Partnership (amendment) Act 2016, proposed during last meeting, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary.
Similarly, he said, the meeting had also approved certain amendments into the Procurement Regulatory Authority Act 2012, following detail discussion on it. He said the meeting had also given approval of special package for members of provincial assembly, which were fallen prey of terrorism acts. He said the meeting has also approved the incentives for heirs of slain minority MPA Sardar Sorang Singh.
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