ICCI president calls for timely completion of Metro bus project to avoid inconvenience residents, traders of twin cities; welcomes government’s move to extend the bus project to Tarnol and Rawat
The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has called upon the government to ensure timely completion of the ongoing Metro Bus Project to avoid any further inconvenience to the business community and the residents of twin cities.
ICCI President Muzammil Hussain Sabri reportedly said that the business community had supported this important project due to its great utility for the commuters and had demanded its completion within the target date to avoid any problems to trade and industrial activities. However, reports about further delay in its deadline were raising concerns, he said.
He said at the inaugural ceremony of the of Metro Bus Project on March 23, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced its completion within 10 months while chairman of Metro Bus Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee during his visit to ICCI had assured that the project would be finished at least two months in advance of the deadline. However, despite extending its target date from December 24, 2014 to January 31, 2015 there was still lot of work left to be done, said the ICCI president, adding that it meant the project might get delayed and he urged upon the government to speed up work on its all packages to ensure its completion within the given timeframe.
He said already Peshawar Morr Interchange has faced a lot of delay due to the fact that the contractor could not effectively mobilise the machinery and manpower and stressed upon the Project Implementation Committee to sort out all matters for completing the remaining work within set timeframe.
He said Islamabad’s residents including the business community had been facing inconvenience for the past nine months due to road blocks, diversions and environmental pollution due to the construction work of the Metro Bus Project.
Sabri also welcomed the government’s move to extend the bus project to Tarnol and Rawat to connect these areas with Islamabad which would greatly facilitate commuters. However, he emphasised that the government should take measures to run this project on self-finance basis instead of providing annual subsidy of Rs 1.5 billion to ensure its commercial viability.
