Khyber’s Provincial Development Working Party has approved execution of the much anticipated Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Project, though its cost has increased by around Rs20 billion over time. The Rs57.23 billion project will be completed with the help of Asian Development Bank.
Of the total, provincial government will secure Rs50 billion from ADB and contribute Rs7.23 billion from own resources. The project would be sent to Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for approval.
The project is to be completed in 12 months and will introduce a well designed, comfortable and user friendly public transport to provide commuters a reliable, safe, affordable and high quality bus rapid service in the provincial capital.
The corridor will be around 261kilometers long with 15km street level stretch, 6km elevated portion and 5km tunnels. It will have 32 stations, 2 depots, 68 km feeder bus routes, 150 bus stops, 450 buses, six storied parking plaza and 61 acres of commercial plaza. Its infrastructure, scrapping and environmental mitigation would cost Rs1.11 billion and fleet procurement Rs7.78 billion.
Project`s cost has gone up by almost Rs20 billion due to 20% increase on market rate system to accommodate international bidding, inclusion of Sunehri Masjid alignment, institutional costs, resettlement costs, land acquisition, resettlement, utilities relocation, financing charges and scrapping.
`The department is to forward a summary to CM on 20% cost escalation over MRS.
BRT corridor will begin from Chamkani and would go along GT Road `at-grade` until Gulbahar, where it will elevate to bypass junction.
Once it passes the junction, it will be `at grade` again until Firdous Cinema and turn left near Bala Hisar Fort through a tunnel to Khyber Bazaar and go on to Soekarno Square, Railway Road and Dabgari, where it will be elevated all the way through Sunehri Masjid Road. From there, it will go `at-grade` past the Mall, Khadim Hussain Road and Sir Syed Junction to Aman Chowk.
BRT will pass through Aman Chowk by a tunnel. It will be at street level up to Hayatabad. It will turn left near Bab-i- Peshawar Bridge and elevate through dried river bed to old sewerage treatment plants before going at street level Habib Jalib Road toward Bagh-e- Naran.
There will be its only flyover crossing dry riverbed opposite Bagh-i- Naran. From there, the corridor will turn right towards Tatara Park and Peshawar Development Authority building before ending on Jamrud Road with its last stop at Cancer Hospital.
