LAHORE, July 17: Terming the bus rapid transit system wastage of provincial resources and an election stunt, the PML-Q has moved the Punjab Assembly for debating the provincial government’s project.
In an adjournment motion submitted with the assembly secretariat here on Tuesday, Q League parliamentary leader Chaudhry Zaheer said 13 important questions had been made part of the motion as basic rules and regulations were violated while initiating the project.
He claimed that the “ill-planned” project would not only waste provincial resources but also endanger human lives as well as damaging Lahore’s cultural image and business activities along the bus route.
The questions raised in the motion included absence of feasibility and economic analysis of the project, repeatedly changing its design and track that showed that its PC-I was also not prepared.
The motion also seeks to know its operating cost, the department and staff meant for running the system, their perks and service structure.
It also says that businesses along the Ferozpur Road, the bus route, are suffering heavy losses while the Turk company given Rs50 million for feasibility report of the project had no expertise in the sector while the report was also not received from the firm despite the payment.
The PML-Q leader claims that the bus track design was defective and meant for ‘medium rail system’.
He regretted that environmental aspect of the scheme had not also been taken into consideration.
Millions of rupees spent on beautification of Ferozpur Road only a couple of months ago had also gone wasted because of the project, he said, demanding that the people be taken into confidence about the source of funding for the new system.