RAWALPINDI: On the directive of the provincial government, the Punjab Works and Communication Department engineers have started examining the work on metro bus project.

A senior official of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) told Dawn that in its initial report, the engineers suspected that the elevated road over Marrir Chowk Railway Bridge vibrated when train passed through it and suggested adding new pillars to the bridge.

However, the project director of metro bus project Commissioner Zahid Saeed while talking to Dawn denied the bridge was vibrating.

He said he was there when the train passed through the bridge. The commissioner said the design of the bridge was made by NESPAK. He said that no pillar would be added to the bridge.

Mr Saeed said that the bus drivers would receive training in driving on elevated road from Saddar to Faizabad on Saturday.

“Earlier, they drove metro buses on trial basis in Islamabad,” he said. He said the asphalt work on elevated road would be completed by Friday.

“However, 20 per cent work is pending at package-II from Committee Chowk to 6th Road which is likely to be completed within two days,” he said.

The commissioner said that the drivers training would continue for two weeks. He said driving on elevated road was a bit difficult and the training was must.

On the other hand, the senior official of the RDA said the metro bus service would likely to be launched in April as the provincial government was interested in finishing the pending work first.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed said that the work on Package-V in Islamabad from Parade Lane to Pakistan Secretariat and Control and Command Centre at Saddar Rawalpindi would complete by May end.

He said that the package-V was difficult as the contractor started the work on underpass on the eastern side of the Constitution Avenue and the weather created problem.

Published in Dawn March 19th , 2015

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