CDGK’s CNG Bus Project stalls

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) is facing difficulties in launching its CNG bus project, Daily Times learnt on Saturday.

According to CDGK sources, the Sindh government handed over the documents of possession of 9 defunct depots of the Karachi Transport Corporation (KTC) to the CDGK in September 2006 but physical possession is not possible as the depots are being used by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

The KTC was disbanded in 1997 and its employees were relieved with golden handshakes for which the government received a loan of Rs 1,263 million from the World Bank.The CDGK Mass Transit Cell (MTC) has invited investors for the proposed scheme, which will introduce 500 CNG buses on 40 green routes of the city.

However, the basic infrastructure facilities for the scheme are yet to be finalized, with the biggest concern being the acquirement of the necessary land for bus terminals. The MTC has also announced the establishment of a project implementation and monitoring unit for this project.

After devolution of power and emergence of district governments, transport departments, including the District Road Transport Authority (DRTA), Traffic Engineering Bureau (TEB) of the defunct Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and the Karachi Public Transport Society (KPTS), which is responsible for the operation of radio cabs and Metro air-conditioned coaches, all came under the CDGK's control.

In a meeting held at the Sindh governor house on August 22, 2005, a decision regarding the handover to the CDGK was taken and the district coordination officer wrote a letter to the ministry of labour, transport, industry and commerce in this regard on June 21, 2006. The Sindh government transferred the possession rights of 9 KTC depots, one terminal and one office, situated on the third floor of Civic Centre to the CDGK.

The depots include the Landhi, Korangi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Mehran (Model Colony, Malir), North Karachi, Surjani Town, Orangi Town and Model (SITE) depots. According to the source, a meeting between CDGK officials and the Planning Commission of Pakistan (PCP) was held in Islamabad last week, where the CDGK raised the issue of possession of the KTC depots by LEAs.

The depots in Korangi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir and Mehran are being used by the Pakistan Rangers, while the Orangi Town depot is being used by the Karachi Police, which has established the Peerabad Police Station and a traffic section in the depot.The CDGK approached the Sindh chief secretary for assistance in the matter but he advised them to approach Federal Home Advisor Rehman Malik, as he would be able to pass their request on to Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza.

Under the terms of transfer of the KTC property, the CDGK will be required to pay the Rs 1,263 million-loan back to the World Bank. However, it has still not been decided who will pay the interest of Rs 400 million on the loan.

Although the CDGK is yet to take physical possession of the property, the source added that on June 15, the Sindh Finance Department wrote to CDGK, reminding them to pay the first installment of the loan or face the deduction of funds at the source

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Such projects are always have to be shed by the local governments as they can't do any thing against the wagon and truck mafia in both Lahore and Karachi............... Ironic Indeed.

CDGK to Start Work on Malir Expressway Next Month

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) will start building bunds or dams along the banks of the Malir River for the Malir Expressway that will ease heavy downtown traffic.

The expressway has been approved and funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which completed the initial study that was started on March 14, 2008. The project would have a timeframe of 24 months from the launch next month. The project is part of the ADB-funded Karachi Mega City Sustainable Development Programme (KMCSDP).

KMCSDP project officer Roshan Ali Sheikh told Daily Times that the expressway is being built to relieve the burden on Shahra-e-Faisal, provide direct access to Korangi Industrial area, the Export Processing Zone, DHA, Clifton and Karachi Port Trust for traffic from the National Highway, Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim and southern inter-connection roads. The expressway would link up with 8,000 other roads as well.

The construction of the bunds on the banks of the Malir River would start from Baloch Colony through Shaheed-e-Millat Expressway, transferring along the existing left and right banks of the river and terminating at the National Highway at Malir Bridge.KMCSDP deputy project coordinator G Mohiuddin Asim told Daily Times that the study was carried out by Techno Consultant International (TCI), which would be shortly starting on a comprehensive survey of the banks to explore the most feasible alignment so that the least number of people have to move.

They are also going to look at the removal of land encroachments, land acquisitions, bridges and flyovers. The survey would also deal with matters such as the determination of land ownership around the expressway to decide whether land acquisition or resettlement would be required. The TCI would undertake an economic and financial analysis to include the possibilities of private sector involvement in the project, added Asim.

The expressway would connect Shah Faisal Colony and its adjoining areas with the city centre and southern parts. It would help reduce the volume on Shahra-e-Faisal, reduce distance, travel time and fuel cost as well.

Karachi Provincial Government Will Start the Bus Service

KARACHI: Transport Minister Akhtar Hussain Jadoon criticised the performance of the CDGK transport department and said that his department would add public buses to Sindh with 500 in the first go.

Addressing a press conference at his office Thursday evening, he said that the Sindh government is holding talks with foreign companies. He lambasted the CDGK for what he said were its faulty policies. In the past it had introduced 70 ‘Green Buses’, which “vanished” from Karachi’s roads within a few months. He said that now the CDGK is claiming to introduce 4,000 more CNG buses in Karachi.

He questioned the performance of the CDGK.Jadoon said that the CDGK was interfering in the affairs of the provincial transport department. He said that the federal government provided funds to the transport department via the Sindh government and that now the provincial transport department will use this money itself.

He regretted that the CDGK was not allowing the newly posted EDO Transport to take charge, despite the transfer of the previous EDO Transport. The previous EDO is presently on a foreign visit on government expense. He claimed that Rs 9.36 billion belonging to the department had been spent on such foreign visits and that the government will order a probe into this waste of precious state funds.

Jadoon harshly criticized the performance of traffic police and accused them of taking bribes and extortion from transporters. Fake vehicle fitness certificates were being issued on the basis of bribery and extortion. Some transporters, in connivance with corrupt elements in the traffic police and CDGK, had occupied bus terminals and other properties of the transport department that will be vacated at all costs.

He said that on the special instructions of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the provincial government will foot the expenses of converting 70,000 two-stroke rickshaws to four-stroke rickshaws. CNG engines will be provided to public transport buses running on diesel as well.

The provincial transport department wants to provide facilities to commuters, but certain elements create hurdles in its way. He said that his ministry is contacting the Sindh chief minister and higher leadership of the PPP to take action against these elements.

Mass Transit System to be Developed in Country: Salman

NEW DELHI (June 27 2008): Salman Faruqui, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said on Thursday that federal and provincial governments will develop mass transit system in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Talking to newsmen here after visiting Delhi Metro Rail, he said Pakistan will learn from the system and Pakistani engineers will build the systems with the help of latest technology available in the world. He said that population of these cities has increased manifold and these transit systems have become utmost necessity to facilitate the general public.

Salman Faruqui said there are good points to learn here as this system is also earning money from the advertisements and public services provided on the stations.Syed Mustafa Kamal, Nazim City Government Karachi said on the occasion that population of Karachi has increased to 18 million and mass transit system will be developed to cope with the travelling needs of the people. We will benefit from the experiences of this system, he added.

Salman Faruqui and his delegation travelled on the system to see themselves its utility. Earlier, the Chief of Metro Rail briefed the delegation about the functioning of this system and its future plans.

Rapid Mass Transit System in Islamabad-Rawalpindi: Rs 70m to be Allocated to Feasibility Study

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will allocate Rs 70 million in budget 2008-09 to the conduct of a feasibility study of Rapid Mass Transit System (RMTS) between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, an official told Daily Times on Thursday.

He said the CDA board approved the project in a meeting presided over by authority’s Chairman Kamran Lashari on Wednesday. All board members and senior officials of the civic body attended the meeting. The CDA Traffic-Engineering Directorate and representatives of the firms hired by the civic body gave a final presentation on the project to the board members, he said, adding, Rejlers and National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) will conduct the feasibility study.

The official said the firms would start the study on July 25 and complete it in eight months. The study will be based on underground, on ground and overhead travelling facilities between the twin cities, he said. He said the firms would collect and review the planning and transportation data and also study the present and future transport requirements of both the cities, he added.

The official said the firms would also review current travel patterns and operation of available pubic transport system for the development of RMTS system. Currently, private transport is major means of mobility and 1,600 minibuses and vans are plying 16 routes within and between the two cities, he said. The official said there was no organised transport system and standard of minibuses and vans’ service was far below any acceptable standard.

He said nothing significant had been added to the transport infrastructure in the last decade. The official said the CDA chairman had directed the Traffic Engineering Directorate to complete the study within the stipulated time. He said RMTS was imperative for the twin cities due to current growing population and urban development. fazal sher

115 Varan Buses to Ply Five City Routes

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Transport Authority (RTA) has given permission to Varan Tours to ply 115 buses on five city routes. The buses will be on roads soon, the RTA sources told Daily Times on Tuesday. According to the sources, the five routes are B-3, B-5, B-6, B-8 and B-11.

They said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had also issued clearance certificates to Varan Tours and buses would be on routes within a week to serve the general public. However, they said, the Varan Tour had yet to fulfil some formalities. The sources said that B-3 buses would ply from Dhoke Syedan to Karachi Company, B-5 from Adiala Jail to Faisal Masjid, B-6 from Tarnol to Humrahi Bus Stand, B-8 from Railway Station to Taxila and B-11 from Railway Station to Golra Sharif.

They said the Punjab government was reconsidering fare schedule and the RTA would be responsible for checking fare violations. The fare list would be affixed at a prominent place in the buses to check overcharging. They said the RTA approved the Varan Tours’ tender and rejected Raja Muhammad Bashir (RMB) Tours’ recommendations, as the RMB could not meet the standard devised by the RTA.

Tariq Rahim, the RTA secretary, said initially Varan buses would ply on three routes including B-3, B-5, and B-6. He said work was in progress on the remaining two routes, which would also be allotted to Varan Tour soon. He said the RTA had done its job and Varan Tours had yet to submit bank statement and other legal documentation before taking off the service.

Elevated Expressway Project Set to Take Off in Months

* Expressway from The Mall to Faizabad will have six lanes

* PC-II forwarded to Punjab govt

* Construction will be done in three phases

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is set to take off Rs 5.508 billion project to build Elevated Expressway from The Mall to Faizabad in the next few months.RDA officials told Daily Times on Monday that the authority had submitted PC-II of the project to the Punjab Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department a few days ago.

They said Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) would forward the PC-II to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for approval since its cost had exceeded Rs 200 million. Having got the project approved, the RDA would conduct topographic survey and design the Elevated Expressway within two or three months since it had completed homework for it, they said.

They said the project aimed to ease traffic flow on Murree Road which had been growing fast as the number of registered vehicles in Rawalpindi and Islamabad had touched the figure of 600,000 and 100,000 vehicles used Murree Road on daily basis. The officials said a recent study had showed that the expressway would save 60,000 vehicles, carrying about 200,000 commuters usually, from risks of accidents.

According to the plan, the Elevated Expressway will run above Murree Road from The Mall to Faizabad. It will go to Pakistan Secretariat via Faizabad Interchange, Zero Point Interchange, Aabpara and Constitution Avenue. The expressway will have six lanes and interchanges for it will be constructed at Marir Chowk, Chandani Chowk, 6th Road and Shamsabad.

After its completion, motorists will be able to cover around 25 km distance in less than 15 minutes.A stretch from The Mall to Marir Chowk would be built in the first phase, from Marir Chowk to Chandani Chowk in the second and from Chandani Chowk to Faizabad in the third, said the officials.

Construction of the expressway from Marir Chowk to Chandani Chowk would take 36 months expectedly while the remaining work would be completed in 46 months, they said.