BRTS still in the works, citizens grow impatient

• Authorities dig out newly-built road after an underground drain stops functioning
• TEPA chief engineer says project will complete in next few days

After the recent re-digging of the newly-constructed Ferozepur Road, citizens of the metropolis are wondering when the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) is finally going to be completed.

The Punjab government invited a lot of criticism last year for diverting major portions of their development spending to the ambitious Ferozepur Road project. Large sections of the road were dug out for the 27 kilometer long bus route, causing a lot of inconvenience for commuters. However, the project was completed in a record nine months time, getting laurels for the Punjab regime under Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif. A Chinese diplomat even dubbed the CM ‘Shahbaz Speed’ for the impressive pace of development works in the province.

The recent digging from the Qartaba Chowk to LOS Stop near Shama, however, has brought a fresh round of trouble for road users, especially commuters getting on to Jail Road towards Shama along the BRTS route.

Insiders have revealed that authorities had to dig out the newly built road after an underground drain stopped functioning. They said that the contractors had laid many layers of quality material in the construction of the road which had to be dug out.

Moreover, the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) recently decided to build new flyovers at the cost of Rs 7 billion in order to make the BRTS route signal-free. A high-level meeting also recently approved the construction of a new RaviBridge for the passage of the articulated metro buses.

Last year, those criticising the government for diverting so much of the budget to this route said the cost was close to Rs 70 billion, although the government maintained it was actually Rs 29 billion.

“The entire project is complete and the traffic situation along the Ferozepur Road has improved as well. But why do policy makers have to dig out newly constructed roads?” said Ahsan Ali, a commuter stuck in traffic on the road. “Other than the expenditures, it involves a great deal of trouble for the commuters, making it seem the BRTS is never going to end and has become a monument of sorts,” he said.

TEPA Chief Engineer Saeed Akhtar, on the other hand, said that the digging is not more than 300 meters in length and will be complete in the next few days. He said the purpose of the digging was to clear the main drain pipe, which would solve the water problem of the adjoining localities.

Lahore Transport Company (LTC) Chairman Khawaja Hassan said that all these extensions and work had been planned last year but were delayed for the government to launch the metro bus in time. “The government has to bear additional expenditure of course, but meeting the deadline was also very important. As you know the world saw how the Punjab government completed such a huge project at an amazing pace, bringing a good name for the country, but the cost was very little,” he said.