Representatives of Chinese, French, and Swedish companies, operating or building railway systems in the mega cities, have expressed their intention to invest in rail based urban transport systems in major cities of Pakistan.
Executives of these companies have come to Pakistan to address an international seminar on rail based urban transport systems for principal cities of the country organised by the international body of chartered logistics & transport experts here on Wednesday.
Talking to Business Recorder, Wu Fanyu of China National Machinery Corporation, which is already supplying locomotives, coaches and freight wagons to Pakistan Railways worth Rs 21 billion, said that his company has conveyed, informally, its willingness to re-build Karachi Circular Railway on BOT basis.
Thomas Jobenius, Director, railway & airport division of Swedish Rejlers Engineers, said that that his company can arrange commercial loans on low interest for the projects of mass transit system given to Rejlers Engineers.
The French representative, Philippe Maler, said that France has vast experience of underground railway systems , management, practice and administration of logistics.
He said that French companies would be happy to enter into public-private partnership with Pakistan Railways.
Earlier, inaugurating the seminar, Railways Minister Shamim Haider said that his Ministry has been working with Karachi City District Government for the revival of Karachi Circular Railway. He expressed hope that the recommendations of professionals and stakeholders would be of immense help to solve the transport problems of the people in major cities.
Experts of Railways and logistics in their papers said that major cities of Pakistan like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Quetta have been experiencing phenomenal growth in population. These cities have also spread physically in all directions which has necessitated the rail-based urban transport system on priority basis..
Ijaz Hussain Khilji of Pakistan Railways Karachi said that revival of Karachi Circular Railway was the only answer to the ever-increasing commuter traffic in Karachi.. He said KCR revival project, at a cost of $150 million, would require improvement in infrastructure, modern railway equipment and effective and efficient operation.
In their research paper on 'The Role of Public Transport Policy in Creating Civilised Cities in the case of Lahore', Professor Dr Abbas Anjum and Dr Rizwan Hameed of Department of City Regional Planning, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, said that the feasibility of a rail transit project for Lahore has long been a focus of discussion in the government departments.
They said that if rail based policy option is implemented , the consortium of present local private sector bus operators might come forward and invest in this project.
This proposition in fact can prove to be a useful way to integrate existing bus service with the rail network.
Talking to Business Recorder the organisers of the seminar said that it was for the first time the government was giving serious consideration to the rail based urban transport systems for major cities since all other means have failed to fulfil the needs of the commuters.
The deliberations of the seminar will continue on Thursday when experts will formulate their final recommendations for the consideration of the government.