Daily Times

The much-awaited enquiry report decries faulty design and inept planning in the multi-billion and long-delayed Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

Provincial Inspection Team pointed to the heavy losses incurred to the national kitty in the 27-page report, compiled on the orders of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. The report was submitted to the government on January 30.

The damning report found that havoc had been played with the public money through faulty planning and designing: negligence in execution and poor management of the project.

Relevant consultant reports including feasibility study, drainage report, geotechnical report, highway report, structure report, traffic report, survey and utilities report, were found deficient leading to frequent design changes during the execution. This was said to have

caused a delay in the completion of the work as well as the loss to the public exchequer.

The team also noted the BRT corridor should have been preferably made elevated throughout its length, which could have avoided the present traffic jam.

The team found traffic congestion at places, where the BRT stations have been constructed at-grid rather than underground.

Further, the post-BRT carriageway width for mixed traffic at the locations of bus stations was said to have been reduced by 40 per cent on average as compared to pre-BRT conditions.

Moreover, the non-maintenance of a uniform number of lanes for mixed traffic through BRT route had allegedly created a funnel-like situation at the locations of BRT bus stations, which added to the cause of traffic congestion.

The inspection team noted that in Reach-III of the project at the University Road, the approaches for the BRT bus stations near University of Peshawar and Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar colony had been constructed on walkways adjacent to government buildings.

These approaches could have been constructed by acquiring a small piece of land from government entities free of cost which would have removed hindrance from the walkways.

Further, canopies of the underpasses were also said to have contributed to reducing the width of the carriageway for mixed traffic.

Signals had been designed for pedestrian zebra crossings for passengers to reach the centre of the road and move up to the elevated BRT corridor through the elevator or escalator.

Although such signals would provide easy and safe access to the passengers, it would also result in mixed traffic congestion.

The report damned that there remained no provision in the revised PC-I for the installation of louvres and sound barriers at the elevated portions of Reach-II required to safeguard the privacy of the buildings and counter noise pollution.

Moreover, the drainage system for the elevated portion of the BRT project was said to be needed to be properly designed.

The team found that no pedestrian crossing other than BRT bus station approaches had been planned in the project.

Toilets at the BRT bus stations were being constructed without proper foundation and lintel beams, with poor quality brickwork, the report maintained.

The bike lane had not been allegedly maintained throughout the BRT corridor.

It had been omitted at some locations while it was combined with mixed traffic lane at some places. This was said to raise questions on the adherence to the requirement of the Asian Development Board (ADB) in this regard when claimed by the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA).

The report claimed that concrete work of the project had been executed in stretched up to 40 metres in length instead of casting them in panels.

Therefore, the work was not done according to standard engineering practice.

Resultantly, cracks were found propagating in the concrete works.

The report has recommended responsibility may be fixed for faulty design and the execution of the project.

In the present situation, neither the width of the carriageway for the mixed traffic could be increased nor the BRT bus stations be made underground to provide extra and uniform number of lanes for mixed traffic.

However, the existing number of lanes for mixed traffic may be temporarily maintained uniformly throughout the BRT corridor to examine the traffic flow. It should further proceed accordingly.

The body has also suggested establishing canopies for entrance to underground shops at Tehkal, Abdara and Board Bazaar, which may be relocated to suitable places to increase the carriageway width for mixed traffic.

It was also recommended the government may acquire land from other government entities, including the University of Peshawar, BISE Peshawar, Islamia College.

As criticism over the BRT projects ensued uproar from all quarters, Peshawar Development Authority Director General, Israrul Haq, was removed from his post. A day earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had removed transport secretary, Kamran Rehman Khan.

Meanwhile, a senior member of the Board of Revenue, Dr Muhammad Fakhar-e-Alam Irfan, has been given the additional charge as the new provincial transport secretary.