LAHORE, July 8: The Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency has submitted a proposal for a feasibility study of the Light Rail Transit Project for the preparation of an international standard bidding document to the planning and development department.
TEPA chief engineer Khushhal Khan said the proposal for the feasibility study of the project had been given in the light of the decision taken by the Punjab chief secretary at a meeting held in August last year. The study estimated to cost Rs41.95 million and would be completed in six months.
He said the previous work would be reviewed and updated in the feasibility study and travel demand forecasts would be prepared for the year 2010 and 2020. The LRT system identified in the previous studies was between Bhati Gate and Kot Lakhpat via Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam, Queens Road and Ferozepur Road.
Extension of the route beyond Ravi Bridge to Shahdara or any other direction would now be studied and station locations, major interchange requirements would be confirmed.
System performance requirements would be defined and affordable rolling stock and technology would be proposed. Environment impact of the project would also be assessed and all possible risks would be analysed.
He said that conditions were favourable for launching the project in view of lifting of financial sanctions imposed in the wake of exploding the nuclear device. Japanese JBIC funding would also be available for the project.
The LDA had already made a request to the federal government for the revival of the project through Yen credit. The review and updating of the pre-feasibility study of the project was necessary because it was more than 10 years old now.
He said the population of the provincial metropolis had increased by 36 percent to 7.36 million and traffic in the proposed LRT corridor had reached beyond the available road capacity.
Motorvehicle ownership had increased from 52 to over 116 per 1,000 and cars from 13 to 35 per 1,000 inhabitants worsening the traffic congestion on the roads. He said the cost of the project was likely to increase by around 50 per cent due to over 10 years delay in its execution.
Instead of the previous cost estimates of 500 million dollar, he said, it was likely to cost around 750 million dollar now due to increase in the costs of the project components.
He said that not only Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi was interested in the execution of the project but also the Japanese and Chinese were interested in financing it. District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood was also keen to get it implemented.
Japanese, he said, were interested in the project because the JAICA had spent nearly Rs200 million on its pre-feasibility study and planning in early 1990's. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had also signed an agreement for its execution with the Japanese in 1996. It, however, could not be executed due to the dismissal of her government.
Arrangements being made for Yen credit through OECF, now, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) could not be finalized because of explosion of nuclear device by the country in 1998.
He said the TEPA wanted to get the 34 kilometre project between Shahdara and Lahore airport executed in two phases. It wanted its 17 feet high rail track to be laid between Shahdara and Kot Lakhpat via Ravi Road, Lower Mall, Lytton Road and Ferozepur Road in the first phase and get it extended to the airport in the second phase.
He said the light rail system would use the magnetic technology for traction. The magnetic train would have a capacity to carry 200 passengers. Passengers would board and alight from the train at nearly 24 railway stations to be built at suitable points on the routes. The passengers would have to pay a minimum fare of Rs15.
