Staff reporter
Peshawar
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government Tuesday announced June 30 as deadline for completion of ongoing gigantic Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project in Peshawar. The announcement was made by Provincial Minister for Transport, Shah Muhammad and Spokesman of KP government, Ajmal Wazir while addressing a joint press conference here at Civil Secretariat.
Addressing the conference, Shah Muhammad said BRT project will complete in June 2020, six months before the stipulated period of 2021. In the agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) the completion period of BRT was agreed as 2021, but we are competing it around six months earlier, they added. Transport Port Minister said the project was launched for the benefit of masses, but was politicized by opposition parties.
He also urged media to extend support to provincial government in completion of this mega project of public interest. In response to a question about early completion of deadlines, Shah Muhammad said if the project was completed in haste, it would not have achieved international standards. He said the project was launched in the wake of traffic problems being faced by dwellers of Peshawar. The objective of BRT was to provide a modern and well equipped transport facility to the travelers, he added.
Shah Muhammad said government was trying to complete before the announced deadline and may succeed in inaugurating the project before the given time. He said delay in project completion was also caused due to change in government including three months interim period. To a question about any further delay in project completion after the new announcement, Transport Minister said agreement has been signed with the contractor after which the June deadline was given. If he (contractor) failed to meet the deadline, he will be fined heavily for delay, Shah Muhammad warned.
