Parking plazas to be built at Ferozepur Road: CM

LAHORE: The Metro Bus Service Project will be a paramount contribution to the uplift of living standards of the masses, said Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif, adding that it would bring a revolutionary change in the transport sector of the city.

He said that the launch of this bus service would result in availability of speedy and comfortable transport facility of international standards to the passengers.

He directed that keeping in view the project’s utility, the related construction work should be undertaken round the clock so that the project could be completed at the earliest.

He was addressing a meeting held to review the pace of implementation of the Metro Bus Service Project on Wednesday.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System Chairman Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmed, Punjab Assembly members Malik Saiful Malook, Ramzan Siddique Bhatti, Dr Saeed Elahi, Hafiz Mian Nauman, Mian Mohsin Latif, Kh Imran Nazir, Dr Asad Ashraf, Planning & Development chairman, Lahore commissioner and district coordination officer, LDA director general, chief traffic officer and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

The CM said that the 32-kilometre-long lane of the Metro Bus Service, from Kahna to Shahadra, would be built in accordance with international standards and best traffic engineering techniques.

He ordered all the departments concerned to work in a coordinated manner for timely completion of the project.

He said that the BRT system was a gift to Lahoris from the Punjab government, adding that the project was being implemented in collaboration with the brotherly state of Turkey and together they planned on giving a complete new look and identity to the city.

He said that in addition to laying of track from Kahna to Kalma Chowk, planning should also be initiated for construction of a track from Shahdara to Kalma Chowk so that the project could be completed as early as possible for the benefit of the people. He said that development work on the BRT project should be continued without interruption.

Shahbaz said that parking plazas would be constructed at suitable places on Ferozepur Road in order to provide safe parking facility to traders as well as the general public.

Explaining in detail the metro project, he said it was an intelligent transport project that had been designed keeping in view the increasing traffic load and future requirements of the city. He said the project was aimed at maintaining a smooth traffic flow across the metropolis as per the directions of traffic experts who would be using information and communication technology for the purpose.

He said that transparency, high standard and speedy completion of development projects was hallmark of the Punjab government and all public welfare projects during the last four years had been executed in a transparent manner, bringing benefits for the common man.

He said that the metro project would also be unique with regard to its standard and transparency.

The assembly members present during the meeting hailed the CM for launching Metro Bus Service as well as other public welfare projects. They said that the project would result in availability of modern transport facility to the citizens and the CM deserved all credit for the glorious project. Planning and Development Chairman Javed Aslam informed that a separate authority would be set up for operating the BRT system and a legislation would also be undertaken for this purpose.