Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif Monday said that $33 billion of the $46 billion Chinese package would be spent on power projects to overcome power shortage/loadshedding in the country. "Gaddani power project is not being shelved, but we were unable to complete it by the set target of 2017-18," said Shahbaz Sharif while briefing media persons on Metro Bus project, which according to him is 95 percent complete and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will inaugurate it in the next few days.
The metro bus project is being completed with a total cost of Rs 44.8 billion, of which Rs 3 billion was taken by the federal government for Peshawar Mor Interchange and the remaining Rs 41.84 billion was spent on 50:50 cost sharing basis between federal government and Punjab government.
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project would have been completed six months ago but sit-ins delayed the project, said Sharif adding that it is the project of Pakistan and not only Punjab province. The Chief Minister said metro bus service would provide better transportation and economic travelling to the citizens of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. This is a unique project of its kind meant to facilitate the masses and completed in a record time with complete transparency.
He said the government will continue to work for the welfare of the masses in all circumstances. He said that 24 bus stations have been constructed along the 23 kilometers long route. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for passengers, buses and the infrastructure.
He said many projects of energy are underway to overcome the shortage of energy and it is on the top of the government priority. He said that 100 MW solar power plant has been made operational in Bahawalpur while 350 MW gas based power project would be installed. He further said that transport projects should be subsidised. Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, parliamentarians and the PML-N Rawalpindi leadership travelled in metro buses from the Secretariat Station Islamabad as the final test drive before the formal launch of the project.
Earlier, briefing the media persons the concerned officials said the project is based on a "pre-feasibility study on Bus Rapid Transit Project in Islamabad" conducted in November, 2012 under Asian Development Bank funding and the feasibility study "Mass Transit System in Rawalpindi & Islamabad 2014" conducted by consultant M/S NESPAK. The federal government under Article 146(1) of the Constitution authorised government of Punjab for execution of Islamabad part of the project as well since government of Punjab has the experience of executing Lahore Metro Bus Project. The total length of the metro bus corridor is approx 23 Km (8.6 Km elevated 10 Km at grade & 4 Km trench), signal free & dedicated corridor. The project includes 2 flyovers, 14 pedestrian underpasses and 13 vehicular underpasses to make it signal free, 24 Central Stations along the corridor (10 in Rawalpindi & 14 in Islamabad), provision of 83 Escalators, 83 Elevators for special persons & 432 Automatic Platform Screen Doors, 68 articulated AC buses to be operated by Private Operator M/s Albayrak selected though International Competitive Bidding, estimated Ridership 135,000 passengers per day, state of the art Bus Depot located near Peshawar Mor over an area of 16.5 acres to accommodate 100 Metro Buses, bus depot has all modern facilities like admin block, drivers' rest area, washing area, maintenance area, fuel station, cafeteria and mosque.
A state-of-the-art Command & Control Centre at the starting point of Metro Bus corridor near Flashman Hotel is also under construction which has three floors for car parking for persons commuting on metro bus. To uplift the MBS corridor through Landscaping & Horticulture and to bring the area around the corridor into its original condition and for its further uplifting, an amount of Rs 324 million has been spent. The project has been completed within the approved cost and no increase in cost has been allowed. All civil contracts and contracts for procurement of equipments have been processed as per the provisions of PPRA and all principles of transparency have been followed.