PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KPBOIT) has completed feasibility and technical work for 26 kilometers long route both for rapid bus and ambulance service in the provincial capital.

This was stated by KPBOIT vice chairman Mohsin Aziz while talking to reporters here on Friday.

Aziz said the route would pass through the middle of Peshawar along the railway track. He said work of the project would be completed within 12 to 14 months.

He said with a view to ensure provision of rapid transport to the people of the underdeveloped province, feasibility was conducted on three options: to utilise the wide gauge existing years-old railway track; to lay new standard gauge railway line, or to construct new road along with the abandoned railway track.

“All the three options were compared in view of infrastructure cost, displacement issues and the timeline for completion of the project, most importantly the running cost.

Finally it was decided to run signal-free bus, cost of which will not exceed Rs14 billion, which would be operated by the qualified private sector operator therefore no subsidy component would fall on the part of the provincial government,” he said.

Aziz, the leading industrialist and former APTMA chairman, said the dedicated route for the underdeveloped KP commuters was fully backed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to implement the PTI vision of providing a safe, cheaper, quicker and respectable ride option for all walks of life, particularly women and students.

He said an important feature of the proposed 26-feet wide road adjacent to the G.T. Road and linked with almost all main arteries of the capital would mostly run parallel to the old rail track- a best way to use the vast land dumped for 65 years.

The KPBOIT vice chairman said through construction of rapid bus track, the railway ministry would retrieve its land from the illegal encroachments occupied for 55 years.

He said the government had approached the railway ministry at various levels to ensure the provision of land for this project which will also mark an important milestone in development of healthcare facilities in the province and setting example for other provinces of the country.— Bureau Report

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2014