LAHORE, Aug 19: The Punjab Transport Department has entrusted the review and improvement of the light rail transit project to a foreign company for its implementation.
The Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) had submitted a proposal for the upgradation of the project in August last year.
Tepa had stressed the need for the review and updating of the 1994 feasibility study keeping in view travel demands for the years 2010 and 2020 due to rapid changes in the city scenario during the past 10 years. The LRT in the previous studies was to ply between Bhati Gate and Kot Lakhpat via The Mall, Queens Road and Ferozepur Road. Extension of the route beyond Ravi to Shahdara or any other direction required to be studied. An assessment of the environment impact and analysis of possible risks was also necessary.
It was of the view that conditions had become favourable for the launch of the project in view of lifting of sanctions imposed in the wake of May 1998 nuclear tests. Japanese funding could also be available for the project. LDA had also made a request to the federal government for the revival of the project earlier.
The review was considered necessary because it was more than 10 years old. The population increased to 7.36 million and traffic in the proposed LRT corridor had reached the available road capacity. The number of vehicles, private and public, had increased worsening the traffic congestion on roads.
The project cost is already up by around 50 per cent due to delay of over a decade in its execution. It was estimated to cost $500 million but now around $750 million due to increase in costs of its components.
The project continues to be delayed due to one reason or the other despite the desire of subsequent governments to get it executed and the willingness of the Japanese and Chinese companies to finance it.
The interest of Japan in the project is evident from the fact that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had spent nearly Rs200 million on the pre-feasibility study and planning of the project in the early 1990s. Former premier Benazir Bhutto later signed an agreement for its execution with Japan in 1996. The project, however, could not be executed due to the dismissal of her government.
The second effort for the execution of the project during the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was thwarted when arrangements being made for yen credit through OECF, now Japan International Bank for International Cooperation (JIBIC), could not be finalized on account of nuclear tests.
The project was revived after the assumption of office by President Gen Pervez Musharraf and former district nazim Mian Amer issued a number of statements about it after signing a memorandum of understanding. The signatories even undertook a survey of the route but failed to execute it due to backing out of the financiers following the 9/11 incident. The agreement was finally revoked last year but the project is up for financing once again.
Chinese companies have been showing interest in the project along with the Japanese. Three companies from China contacted the government last year for financing the project.
TEPA had proposed to execute the 34 kilometre project between Shahdara and Lahore Airport in two phases. It wanted a 17 feet high rail track to be laid between Shahdara and Kot Lakhpat via Ravi Road, Lower Mall, The Mall, Queens Road and Ferozepur Road in the first phase and to the airport in the second.
The trains carrying 200 passengers will run at 35 to 95 kilometre per hour speed covering the distance between Shahdara and Lahore Airport in 35 minutes. Passengers would board and alight at nearly 24 railway stations to be built at suitable points on the routes.