Previous social media statements about the inflated metro bus project costs have come back to bite the PTI leaders as the Peshawar Sustainable Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Project (read: Peshawar metro bus project) is estimated to cost much more than was previously claimed by the PTI.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs57.23 billion. As the corridor will be approximately 26 km long, the cost per km will be Rs2.2b/km or approximately $21/km.
Let’s take a look at Imran Khan’s tweet from 2014 where he bashes PML-N on the high costs involved in the completetion of the Lahore metro bus project.
F Saleem’s metro bus cost comparison confirms PMLN corruption.Lahore: $11m/km; Islamabad $20 m/km as compared 2 Ahmedabad,India: $3 m/km !/2
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI)
November 7, 2014
The Lahore metro bus corridor is approximately 27km long , and its total cost was Rs 29.8bn, i.e. $11m/km. Whereas the metro bus corridor in Amritsar (India) is 31km long, and its total cost was Rs 9.2bn, i.e. $3m/km.
Hence by comparison, the cost of the Peshawar metro bus is estimated to be almost double the cost of Lahore metro bus project; something that the PTI has conveniently blamed on the 20 percent increase in the cost of the project on market rate system.
Though not very long ago PTI had quite different views on the metro bus project and the costs involved in the completion of this project.
Asad Umar and Imran Khan have been very vocal about how the metro buses are not needed in this country and are a complete waste of resources; not to mention their blatant insistence upon PML-N being corrupt regarding the project.
our petition against the islamabad metro bus project filed in the supreme court yesterday http://t.co/jERXsDZUzW
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 11, 2014
the 14km islamabad route covered by the metro bus costing 24 billion…according to asian development bank study should cost 4 billion!!!
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 11, 2014
pervaiz rashid sahib aap ka challenge qabool : 8 billion dein aap ko islamabad mein metro bus project kar key dekhatey hain
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 12, 2014
Last but not the least, in the following video, Asad Umar clarifies that PTI is not imitating PML-N and that it is in fact not a ‘metro bus project’ but a ‘mass project’ for the betterment of public.