Metro bus service: Shahbaz wants project completed in 10 months

[Salman]

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has asked the civic authorities of the twin cities and contractors to complete the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus project within the stipulated period of 10 months.
He also directed them to ensure quality of construction work, safety of engineers and workers to avoid any accident during implementation of the project.
The CM issued these directives during a meeting held in the federal capital on Tuesday to review construction work on the project, said a press release.
Members of National and provincial assemblies, federal secretaries of cabinet and planning, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Maroof Afzal, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Jawad Paul, Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed, regional police officer, district coordination officer, the project director, planning and development chairman and other senior officers were also present.
He also constituted an implementation committee headed by former member National Assembly Hanif Abbasi for supervising the construction work on the project and ensuring its completion as per quality and schedule.
He asked the city authorities to construct a road for shuttle service from Railway Station to Murree Road for facilitating the passengers coming from Rawalpindi by train to metro bus.
Shahbaz asked the officials to devise a special strategy for landscaping the project and making it state-of-the art in every respect.
The chief minister ordered to make it binding on the contractor to remove the debris during construction.
He asked the authorities to lessen the problems of the commuters through better traffic management and eradication of pollution on Murree Road. He said that it is a public welfare project and delay will not be tolerated.
The chief minister said that parking plaza should also be constructed at the starting point of metro bus service so that people could take maximum benefit from this facility.
Shahbaz said that he will himself review progress of construction work on weekly basis.
Project Director Metro Bus Service Zahid Saeed, giving a briefing, said that work has been started on three packages in Rawalpindi and four contractors in Islamabad whereas tender for one package will be finalised on Wednesday. CDA chairman told the meeting that site for metro bus service depot has been identified and necessary formalities will be completed within a week.
Public representatives expressed their satisfaction over the project and presented various proposals.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2014.