Tram Transport System for M.M.Alam Road in Lahore

I hope that this is going to be a reality.................. Imagine lahorites parking your cars away from M.M.Alam Road and than boarding a Nice Tram on M.M.Alam Road.... Fantastic but indeed a Fantasy

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LAHORE, July 27: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that no road cuts will be allowed after completion of new roads and departments implementing the projects should maintain a close coordination to avoid the practice of digging roads soon after completion, says a handout.

He was addressing a meeting which reviewed the implementation of various projects of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), construction of parking plazas in Liberty Market and the Park and Ride Project on M.M. Alam Road, at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Monday.
The chief minister said that removal of billboards had added to the beauty of the provincial metropolis while people had also breathed a sigh of relief. He said the PHA should accelerate the pace of development activities to beautify the city and provide a healthy atmosphere to the citizens and ensure the completion of projects within stipulated timeframe. He said that maximum number of trees should be planted besides construction of monuments and landscapes at the Airport Road and this process should be completed by Sept 30 along with the completion of the road. He said that parking plaza would be constructed in Liberty Market to improve traffic system and he would lay the foundation stone of the first parking plaza on July 30. He said that all out facilities would be provided on the pattern of developed countries on M.M. Alam Road for the purpose of accelerating business activities.

The chief minister said the government was paying special attention to provide healthy atmosphere and recreational facilities to the masses and a number of projects were being implemented for this purpose. He said that due attention was also being paid to the development of parks, playgrounds and provision of other facilities in backward areas.
He said that solid measures were being taken to transform Lahore into the City of Gardens and revive its historical beauty and a timeframe had been evolved for the completion of various projects in this regard.

He said that the work on development of picnic spots, jogging tracks and other recreational facilities along the Lahore Canal from Jallo to Thokar Niaz Beg should be completed by October 1 while two cultural villages should be set up by November 1. He said the Lower Mall would be improved from Anarkali Chowk to the Postmaster General Office and the project of developing a book street and tea house would be completed by September 15. He directed that services of foreign experts should be acquired to beautify Kamran Barah Dari and Ravi Lake Project. He said that the area from Lohari Gate to Dehli Gate had been selected for Circular Garden Lahore Project and in addition to beautification of this area, four traditional craft bazaars would also be set up there. He directed that provision of necessary services should be ensured before construction of all roads in the province and permission for road cuts should not be given after completion of roads.

He directed the Lahore commissioner to set up special cells on all sides of the city and ensure stern action against the violators of these instructions. He said that billboards material should also be removed from the city within 10 days. He said that after the removal of billboards, some suitable spots would be selected where permission would be granted for displaying billboards under a comprehensive policy and in accordance with the approved designs after competition between different parties.

He ordered an inquiry into the fact that no work had been initiated for improvement of M.M. Alam Road even after more than one year of laying of sewerage lines. He warned that the officials guilty of laxity in this regard would not be spared. He also ordered selection of a suitable site for the shifting of Lorry Adda and directed that all possible facilities should be made available at the new site for the benefit of the passengers and the project should be outsourced for this purpose.
He directed that a detailed briefing should be given to him in three days regarding the beautification of 32 arteries of the provincial metropolis and setting up of playgrounds and parks in different areas of city for providing recreational facilities to the citizens. He also directed the commissioner to solve the issue of Ravi Toll Plaza.
The chief minister said parking plazas at Liberty Market would be constructed by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) which would improve traffic system and result in better facilities to the masses.

The chief minister was also given a detailed briefing regarding beautification of M.M. Alam Road. He was informed that under the Park and Ride Project, tram transport system would be introduced on the road. The chief minister directed that while constructing parking plazas, future requirements should also be taken into account and setting up of revolving restaurants at the rooftops of parking plazas should also be considered.

CNG Buses in Karachi

Karachi’s transport woes may not end soon but Monday’s introduction of a fleet of new CNG buses is clearly a step in the right direction. Fifty CNG buses will ply the roads in the first phase of the scheme, which the City District Government Karachi has not only financed but will also run, and budgetary provisions have reportedly been made for another 100 vehicles. Several positives can be taken from this development. First there is the additional means of transport which commuters sorely need in a mega city where distances are vast and public transport is wholly inadequate.
Then there is the environmental factor. Overall emissions from CNG vehicles are significantly lower than what their diesel and petrol counterparts produce, and in a city as polluted as Karachi the authorities should consider forcing all public transporters to switch to CNG. That is what happened in New Delhi where pollution levels have fallen dramatically since the law came into effect in 2003. Given honesty of purpose, there is no reason why similar measures cannot be implemented here. A changeover period will be required of course but the cut-off date must be final.
It is also heartening to see the public sector playing a role again in Karachi’s transport system. Many believe that the transporters’ lobby has conspired over the years to keep government-run buses off the roads in Karachi, reducing options for commuters and leaving them at the mercy of private operators. The city government’s CNG venture may be relatively small in size but it marks a healthy change that ought to be encouraged. Now that it has been launched, every effort must be made to ensure the scheme’s long-term success. Much will depend on vehicle maintenance and it is in this area of operations that the CDGK should be particularly vigilant

‘Punjab Will Launch Bus Service for Tourists’

LAHORE: Keeping in view the importance of Lahore as the cultural capital of South Asia, the Punjab government will be launching a bus service for tourists in the city very soon, Tourism and Food Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran said.

He was presiding over a meeting to review the final arrangements of the project in Lahore.He said Lahore reflected a rich cultural heritage and splendour of different ages, which adds to the beauty of its culture. “International tourists should also experience our cultural heritage in a more befitting and organised manner,” he said, adding that the government had decided to launch the project for the same purpose.

Kamran said the buses would introduce tourists to historical and cultural heritage of the city. He said the project had been initially launched in Lahore and if the experiment proved successful, the number of buses would be increased. He said tourist bus service would be called “Aik Din Sadiyon Ka Safar”.He said the Tourism Department had sent the summary to the chief minister requesting him to inaugurate the project as early as possible.

He said Punjab has a number of historic sites and its centuries’ old archeological buildings attract a large number of tourists. He said the Punjab government was taking these steps to attract further investment in the tourism sector

First Container Train from Islamabad to Turkey on August 14

LAHORE (July 24 2009): Pakistan Railways is running first international container train from Islamabad to Istanbul, Turkey on August 14. General Manager, Pakistan Railways, Saeed Akhtar who recently visited Turkey in connection with finalising arrangements for running the train said Pakistan and Iran had agreed to tariff proposed by Turkey.

Talking to APP here on Thursday, he said matters pertaining to customs and technical issues had also been finalised by the three countries and the first container train would run as 'demonstrative one' He said the train being run under ECO, would comprise 20 containers (coaches) of 20 feet each which would take 15 days to reach its destination.

He said it would run for 104 hours in Pakistan, 127 hours in Iran and 135 hours in Turkey and would provide a link to Europe and central Asian states.He said initial response of business community was very good and hopefully enough cargo would be available for running train on weekly basis.

He said, as Islamabad was not the trade centre of the country, train on regular basis would be run from Lahore or Faisalabad

SUGGESTING URBAN MASS TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY FOR PAKISTAN

Kamal Discusses Mass Transit with USAID Deputy Director

KARACHI (July 17 2009): Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal said that Karachi had become a mega-international city because of rapid progress. He said that world over, in mega cities, the mass transit system was supported at the federal level. Because no district government could complete such a stupendous project within its limited resources.

He was exchanging views with Edward Birgells, Deputy Director USAID for the Infrastructure Development Fund, who met him at his office on Thursday. Mr Edward showed interest in many projects, including the desalination plant, bio-gas plant, energy, technical education and infrastructure development.

Nazim Karachi said that massive migration to Karachi in search of livelihood, demanded that new sources of water be sought, because water, as per demand, in the future would not be available from rivers and dams and, therefore, the installation of a desalination plant would be an imperative.He said that a speedy development process must continue as it was inevitable for the country's prosperity and particularly, for industrial and commercial activities and international investment.

He suggested that USAID should devise a system whereby the city government may only submit projects and funds spent by USAID, with an appropriate schedule for paying back the investment, while the city government or Nazim had no direct links to it.Mustafa Kamal stated that under the public-private partnership, projects of technical education, school education, IT Tower etc were being successfully implemented.

Under this system, the government provided land, while the project cost was borne by the private sector. In this regard he cited the example of the Memon Industrial and Technical Training Institute, Korangi where youths were imparted training with the participation of the private sector.After training, employment was also guaranteed. The Nazim said that the city government would establish four more such institutes. He told visitors that the city government had direct access to the people at the lowest level and, therefore, the provision of resources for Karachi was necessary.

He pointed out that Karachi was the most appropriate city for investment, as it was nearest to the Middle East and a major city of the Islamic world, with the best strategic location. "We have involved the citizens in the performance of civic affairs and thousands of youth are rendering voluntary services in education, health, traffic management and various other sectors under the "I Own Karachi" program.He revealed that instead of depending on government aid for completion of projects like the desalination plant, mass transit etc, the Karachi Development Fund had been instituted. Citizens made voluntary donations to it.

He referred to the issue of power shortages and said that they were badly affecting industrial and commercial activities and unemployment was growing. Edward Birgells had a detailed exchange of views on projects of the desalination plant, bio-gas, energy and technical education.He appreciated the Nazim's development vision for Karachi and said that USAID was examining the provision of financial assistance for development work and infrastructure improvement in various cities

EPA Approves $1.58 Billion KCR Project Study

Some signs of this project being implemented

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

KARACHI (July 16 2009): The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIAS) for $1.58 billion Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project.

Moreover, the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) is also likely to complete the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the rehabilitation of the affected persons by the mid of September 2009.According to sources, the EIAS had been completed with the Special Assistance for Project Formation (SAPROF), etc, led by a group of Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), with a delay of at least five months.

Beside the environmental studies, sources said that resettlement of thousands of families, widely spread along the railway line in the last few years, was the big issue for the concerned authority.For that the process such as getting satellite images of the KCR track from Suparco, data collection from different sources regarding the actual figures of the encroachers and meeting with different groups of people who were living on the encroached lands, was also in progress, they added.

They said that at least two Japanese experts of the resettlement process were also likely to visit Pakistan by the first week of next month. The Japanese group was also reviewing the resettlement process of the victims of Lyari Expressway and others in the city to peacefully handle the issue, they added.The RAP study, a socio-economic survey, was also being prepared to collect demographic conditions of the project area, with guidelines of Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica) and the World Bank.

The KCR project being funded by Japan Bank of International Co-operation (JBIC) was also bound to follow the guidelines of the Japanese agency.They further said that discussions were also going on with the Board of Revenue to get at least 300 acres of land, which was needed at over 700 points of the project. The PC-I based on the fresh study conducted by a survey team of Jica for the revival of the KCR was yet to be approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

The current study, conducted by a Japanese team from the ministry of economy, trade & industry, government of Japan, adds some new developments. Japan, as a first parameter, would dualise KCR's 30-km loop with modern signalling and telecommunication system.At least two dedicated tracks along with the main line from City (Railway) Station to Drigh Road Station of 14.5 kms, which would later be linked to the airport with a distance of 6kms, at a cost of $179.464 million.

They said Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) would be the vehicle for the implementation of the project having on its Board the senior officials of Pakistan Railways, Government of Sindh and City District Government Karachi (CDGK

Rail Tourism to be Introduced

Ya Mr. Minister your idea of introducing Tourist Information Center in all cities of the country is wonderful, if this happens than indeed we can think of revival of this vital industry in the country.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Federal Minister for Tourism, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman said, on Tuesday, that rail tourism would be introduced to create awareness among domestic tourists of the various tourist attractions in Pakistan. He stated this while chairing a meeting held at Pakistan Railways Advisory Consultancy Services (PRACS) Headquarters today.

The purpose of the meeting was to explore the possibilities of joint ventures, in different projects, between the Ministry of Tourism and Pakistan Railways. Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman said that the aim was to promote Pakistan as a people-friendly place, exposing its rich culture and heritage."The main objective of rail tourism was to create awareness among domestic tourists about the various tourist attractions of Pakistan", he remarked.

Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman said that the Ministry of Tourism /PTDC would provide all possible facilities to tourists travelling by Pakistan Railways.The Minister thanked the Managing Director of PRACS for a meaningful presentation to promote domestic tourism. He said that the Ministry of Tourism and PTDC would ask all registered tour operators to market rail tourism.

He said that PTDC Motels and hotel could be utilised to provide catering facilities on board and at the destination and transport could be provided to link tourist spots / sites with the Railway station.The PTDC would include Rail Tourism in various packages and promotional campaigns. The Minister for Tourism constituted a committee comprising Managing Director PTDC, Economic Analyst (Ministry of Tourism),Secretary PRACS and Executive Director Marketing (PRACS), to further enhance co operation between the two organisations.

Ali Arif, Secretary (Tourism) highlighted the ongoing projects of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and briefed the meeting about the modalities of joint ventures.Ghulam Idrees Khan, Managing Director PTDC said his organisation was already working with tourism stakeholders in the country.

He gave the assurance that Tourist Information Centres at the Federal and Provincial Capitals, under an agreement, may act as facilitation centres for foreign and Pakistani tourists and provide publicity material like posters, brochures on tourist attractions, for display and distribution by PRACS at major railway stations. Pakistan Railway / PRACS may run PTDC's tourism documentary films on their CCTV Systems, at the major railway stations.

Delhi Metro bridge collapses; five dead - Horrible

Indeed a tragedy for such a nice project. I hope this incident will not hamper this viable project for New Delhi

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW DELHI, July 12: One section of a bridge being built for the Indian capital’s metro rail system collapsed on Sunday, crushing to death five workers and injuring 13 in a major setback to the project that officials hope to complete before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

New Delhi’s landmark metro rail project is already operating three lines and is working around the clock to build several extensions. The metro is the pride of the city, where commuters were long forced to rely on smoke-belching buses, rickety three-wheel motorised rickshaws or their own motorcycles.

The project was particularly notable because it opened on schedule about seven years ago an almost unheard of feat in India, where corruption-related overruns are common. E. Sreedharan, the head of the Delhi Metro Rail Corp., has been hailed as a modern-day hero, but on Sunday, he tendered his resignation to take moral responsibility for the collapse, which is a rare blemish in the largely successful project.

“This is a very, very serious accident,” said Sreedharan, an official known for his integrity and dedication. He said he sent his resignation letter to New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who has not yet said whether she will accept it. The accident occurred on a particularly tricky section, where a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) metal cantilever was being raised to attach to a long section of concrete girders, all of which tumbled down in a V-shape pile

Major Projects Put under Special Infrastructure

This news below confirms the indication of implementation of LRMTS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Punjab government has created a new head of Special Infrastructure in the Annual Development Program (ADP) and put major infrastructure development projects including Lahore Ring Road Project, (LRR), Sialkot-Lahore Motorway (SLM) and Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) projects into the head.

The projects are, technically, included in the infrastructure development head but the government has created a new head for it without mentioning its need in the budget documents. The LRR and SLM projects are the road infrastructure development projects. The government has reduced the allocation for the road development by 25.2 per cent in this fiscal year but allocated a hefty amount for these projects.

The government allocated a total of Rs 25.048 billion for the development of Special Infrastructure, out of which 11.834 billion rupees have been allocated for the on-going schemes and 13.214 billion rupees for the new schemes. The special infrastructure sector comprises the mega projects catering for major urban (intra-city and inter-city) transit and transportation requirements.

The current yearís development program (2009-10) includes Lahore Ring Road (LRR), Sialkot-Lahore Motorway (SLM) and Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) projects. The ongoing projects of Lahore Ring Road (LRR) and Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) have been given a hefty amount even in this budget (2009-10).The total cost of the LRR and LRMTS is Rs 22.805 billion and Rs 1.952 billion respectively in the fiscal year of 2009-10.The Sialkot-Lahore Motorway, a new project, will be started this year and a total of Rs 290 million have been allocated for its construction.

A total of 44 schemes are underway for the LRR out of which, 33 schemes are already underway while 11 schemes will be new. Similarly, there are 4 ongoing schemes for LRMTS and 4 schemes will be new in this project.On the other hand, 3 schemes will be started for the construction of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway which is a new project in this budget altogether. The construction of LRR has been divided into four sections i.e. North Loop (civil works), North Loop (land acquisition), South Loop (civil works) and South Loop (land acquisition).The major Ongoing Schemes of LRR, North Loop (civil works) which have been allocated the amount in the current budget are Establishment of PMU, Lahore Ring Road costing Rs 194miillion, Lahore Ring Road Construction of Interchange at Saggian Chowk costing Rs 793 million, Lahore Ring Road Construction of Road Portion from Barki Road Intersection to Ghazi Road Intersection costing Rs 1.120 billion, Lahore Ring Road Construction of Interchange at Airport Access Road costing 856 million, Lahore Ring Road Construction of Interchange at Harbanspura Canal Crossing costing 1.169 billion, Lahore Ring Road construction of Interchange at Ghazi Road costing 1.606 billion, and Lahore ring Road Construction of Interchange at Bedian Road costing Rs 1.529 billion. There is only one new scheme in this North Loop (civil works) which is Construction of Additional Underpass/ Flyovers at the Left-Over Crossings in Lahore Ring Road project costing 372 million rupees.There are total 13 Ongoing Schemes for North Loop (Land Acquisition) in the current budget costing Rs 1 million each.The only new scheme under North Loop (Land Acquisition) is land Acquisition for Construction of Additional Underpass/ Flyovers at the Left-Over Crossings in Lahore Ring Road Project costing Rs 987 million. Similarly, there is only one ongoing scheme for the South Loop (Civil Works) which is Feasibility Study, Selection of Route and Detailed Engineering of Lahore Ring Road (Southern Loop) costing Rs 2.7million. Whereas, a total of six new schemes will be underway in the South Loop (Civil Works) costing Rs 1.997 billion. On the other hand, there is only one ongoing Scheme under South Loop (Land Acquisition) costing Rs 1 million. Whereas, a total of three new schemes will be underway under South Loop (Land Acquisition) Project costing Rs 8.999 billion

The second mega project whose detailed feasibility had been finalized in December 2006, and which was given a share in the previous budget and in this budget as well, is Lahore rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS).This is a network of mass transit corridors comprising 4lines spread over 97km distance with 82 stations with Ferozepur Road as the top priority corridor- called ëGreen Lineí.This Green Line has a length of 27km traverses from the south at Hamza town along Ferozepur Road to Fatima Jinnah Road, The Mall, Lower Mall, Ravi Road and after crossing the River Ravi, ends at its terminus in Shahadra. A total of 22 stations are located along the Green Line.

The LRMTS targets for the fiscal year 2009-10 are, removal of utilities services by LESCO, WASA, PTCL, NTC and SNGPL, Engagement of Transaction advisor for preparatory work of LRMTS, Engagements of the general consultants to oversee the project, and Tendering for the design- build LRMTS execution contract during year 2009.Currently, there are four ongoing schemes under LRMTS Project costing Rs 1.856 billion. On the other hand, a total of four new schemes will be started in LRMTS project in the fiscal year 2009-10, costing Rs 843 million.

The construction of Sialkot-Lahore Motorway will be a new venture in the current budget and a total of three new schemes have been devised for this purpose costing Rs 300 million. This Motorway will link Sambrial Dryport near Sialkot with Lahore city east of Niazi Chowk Interchange on Lahore Ring Road. The Motorway might extend up to Kharian in the future in the wake of a bigger project