PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade vice chairman Senator Mohsin Aziz on Thursday said the provincial government was committed to launching the bus rapid transit project in Peshawar to overcome the growing traffic issues but the project faced delay due to red tape at the railways ministry.

In a statement issued here, Aziz appreciated the Punjab government’s offer to help for the launch of a bus service at Karachi and said the centre’s support for the project would not only help build confidence of smaller provinces but it would also improve working relationship among all federating units of the country.

He, however, asked if the Punjab chief minister would extend the same goodwill gesture towards Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The BoIT vice chairman said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was in contact with the railways ministry for provision of extra land for Peshawar BRT project.

He said the bus project was meant to overcome traffic congestion in the provincial capital by providing the people with comfortable, economical, and fast and free-flowing transport service.

Aziz said unnecessary delay in issuance of no-objection certificate by the railways ministry was a major hurdle to the project’s execution.

The BoIT vice chairman said the Peshawar bus service, an idea of the provincial government, would run between Nasirpur and Hayatabad industrial estate around 26km long road alongside the railway line.

He said the road should be built parallel to the railway track and thus, leaving ample space for expansion if it was required.

Aziz said the BRT project was intended to be undertaken on fast track basis after overcoming the initial hiccup of the availability of land.

He said he was hopeful that the federal and Punjab governments would intervene in best interest of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa people and ensure the early execution of the project.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2015

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