RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), the execution authority of metro bus project, has sought reopening of roads to transport construction material to the project site in Islamabad.

Construction work on the project came to a halt after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek staged sit-ins at D-Chowk.

Since the sit-ins have now become a routine feature, the RDA has asked the Islamabad administration to open the roads and allow dumpers to ply on Kashmir Highway.

The Islamabad administration had stopped the RDA from using the Kashmir Highway for transportation of construction material as free movement of dumpers was damaging the highway.

When contacted, Commissioner Rawalpindi and the metro bus project director, Zahid Saeed, said the RDA officials and Islamabad administration would meet on Thursday to discuss the opening of roads.

He said that the suffering of the people was increasing due to break in construction work on the project and the contractors wanted to start the work to meet the deadline set for the project. “The road closures are main hurdle to transport the material to Islamabad,” he said.

He said that the RDA would also request the CDA to hand over 15-acre land near Peshawar Mor to it for the construction of bus depot.

He said that the RDA would call bids to award contract for construction of the bus depot after getting the possession of the land. He said that the bus depot construction would cost Rs1.4 billion.

The project director said that the bus depot would accommodate more than 64 buses and have rest area for the metro bus project employees, restaurant, diesel filling station, service station and workshop.

Replying to a question, the commissioner said at present laying girders on the pillars in Rawalpindi section of the project had been stopped due to rain which has created a slushy mess.

He said the political situation had almost stopped the work but now the government wanted to speed up the work.

Published in Dawn, September 11th , 2014