PESHAWAR: The local traders and industrialists on Friday complained about delay in the completion of work on the Bus Rapid Transit project in the provincial capital and asked the caretaker chief minister to ensure the speedy execution of the mega initiative to prevent their losses.

The demand was made by a delegation of the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Industries during a meeting with caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Dost Mohammad Khan here.

The delegation consisted of PCSTI president Atif Shehzad and members Haji Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Malik Inam and Atif Haleem, and Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran provincial president Malik Mehr Ilahi, Qaiser Khan and Akbar Khan.

The visitors told the chief minister that the former PTI government had failed to fulfil its commitment with traders regarding the speedy completion of the BRT project and thus, causing huge losses to them.

They said the former government had promised to successfully execute the bus project within six months and compensate traders for the damages caused by it but failed to fulfil those promises.

The traders said the ongoing work had forced traders to close shops and move businesses to Punjab for survival.

They said slow pace of work on the BRT project had created hurdles to the smooth flow of traffic in the areas, where the project was being executed, and therefore, traders were struggling to load and unload goods in bazaars.

The traders called for the speedy completion of the project to their and people’s relief.

They demanded the opening of the roads on the BRT route in the evening to ensure smooth transportation of goods to them.

The chief minister assured them of the early resolution of their problems.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2018