During a seminar on Saturday on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), speakers were of the opinion that mass transit systems would not only help overcome the persisting transport issues in urban areas but would also help economic growth.
The seminar was held on the occasion of the national exposure visit on (BRT) organized to enhance the capacity of federal and provincial government departments by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under the umbrella of Pakistan Sustainable Transport Project (PAKSTRAN).
A diverse group of federal and provincial officials from transport and environment departments were briefed about the concepts and importance of sustainable transport and related environmental issues during the national exposure visit. The delegation visited the Mass Transit Authority office and also experienced a ride on the metro bus.
IUCN country representative Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, while addressing the participants said that the mass transit system would help reduce GHG emissions and related environmental issues in the country. “The activity aims to examine the already developed BRT projects in Punjab and explore avenues for the replication and implementation of similar mass transit transport projects in other provinces and cities,” Cheema said, highlighting the objective of the national exposure visit of BRT.
Renowned climate change expert, and PAKSTRAN National Project Manager Dr Muhammad Saleem Janjua, said the project had a multidimensional approach which focused mainly on planning and awareness, “We have been providing technical assistance to all provincial governments on various projects” Janjua said, adding that PAKSTRAN had conducted studies in Punjab to look at the capacity of government institutions involved in transport planning and would be doing the same in Sindh.
Dr Janjua stressed the importance of sustainable transport for mitigating the effects of climate change and the socio-economic progress of the country.
Yar Muhammad Mirjat from the Sindh Transport Department said on the occasion, “Introducing sustainable transport solutions in urban areas is very important.” He expressed hope that the government of Sindh would be able to make two corridors operational by 2016.
PAKSTRAN is supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with an aim to address the transport and related problems in the country and is being implemented by the government of Pakistan.
The project’s objective is “to reduce the growth of energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions from Pakistan’s transport sector, while simultaneously improving urban environmental conditions and Pakistan’s competitiveness.”
