KARACHI, Dec 27: A high-level meeting in Islamabad has given a go-ahead to the city government's plan of introducing a magnetic train from Sohrab Goth to Mere weather Tower , and a summary of the project is now likely to be moved to President Pervez Musharraf shortly.
The meeting, chaired by the Planning Commission's deputy chairman, Dr Akram Sheikh, gave the contract of the plan to an American firm 'Meglev' which has agreed to complete the project on Built-Operate-and-Transfer basis at an estimated cost of US dollars 289 million.
The meeting was attended, among others, by MNA Dr Farooq Sattar, city Nazim Niamatullah Khan, federal finance and railways secretaries, Member (Infrastructure and Planning), CDGK's Mass Transit departmnt's director-general while the American Meglev firm was represented by Siemens Pakistan's managing director, Sohail Wajahat, and chief executive officer of Infrastructure Development Corporation, a joint company of American Meglev firm.
The proposed project, commonly known as 'Corridor No 1', envisages introduction of a magnetic train on 17.5 kilometre double and single elevated tracks to be laid between Sohrab Goth and Tower.
The CDGK had earlier signed a preliminary implementation agreement with a Chinese firm, China National Machinery and Equipment Group (CNMEG), following an agreement signed with the governor for implementation of Rail-Based Mass Transit System for Karachi (Corridor No 1) on credit-financing basis at an estimated cost of US dollars 569.3873 million.
The preliminary accord was, however, subject to the approval of conditions of loan, etc., by the federal government. However, the Planning Commission objected to the preliminary agreement on the plea that its contract should have been given to such a firm which is willing to undertake the project on BOT basis, instead of credit financing basis.
Later, the president formed a committee under the chairmanship of Planning Commission's deputy chairman, Dr Akram Sheikh, to formulate its recommendations and it was after receiving the committees' suggetions that the high-level meeting on Friday decided to accept the American Meglev's offer of undertaking the project on BOT basis. The summary of the project is now expected to be submitted to President Musharraf soon for getting his final approval.
Sources in the CDGK said the Corridor-1, to be completed in about three years, will not only provide a fast mode of transport to Karachiittes, but would also help ease traffic flow on M A Jinnah Road, S M Taufic Road and Shahrah-i-Pakistan, where vehicular traffic often presents a scene of a 'traffic jungle', partly owing to a large number of number of vehicles taking this route and partly because of inefficient system of enforcing traffic rules and regulations on the part of traffic police.
The tracks for introducing magnetic train will initially be laid between Sohrab Goth and Mere weather Tower, but it will be later extended to New Sabzimandi on Superhighway, the sources added.
The terms and conditions on which the contract of the Corridor-1 project has been assigned to Meglev will be unfolded by the City Nazim shortly after it is approved by the president, sources added.