RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Punjab government is going to construct state-of-the-art “Multi-model Intercity Bus Terminals” in Lahore under public private partnership (PPP) mode to extend best travelling facilities to the masses.

Punjab Minister for Excise and Taxation Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman stated this while addressing the consultative workshop for Multi-model Intercity Bus Terminals at P&D complex on Thursday.

The workshop was organized to discuss the project details of the project under PPP mode with foreign delegates, local investors, government officials and higher authorities.

Transport department and Metropolitan Corporation will establish three terminals in Lahore at Shahdara, Thokar Niaz Baig and Gajju Matta-Ferozpur road.

The project will be completed in two phases with a cost of Rs 8.11 billion on build operate transfer basis. Under this project; modern facilities at bus terminals will be provided to 1, 70,000 passengers travelling to Lahore from other cities everyday.

Addressing the workshop, provincial Minister for Planning and Development Malik Nadeem Kamran said the government is ready to support all new initiatives in the development sector through PPP mode. The Punjab government has taken initiatives to improve the transport facilities for the convenience of the people previously and this project is a step forward in the same direction; the project looks very vibrant and we will extend support and cooperate fully to make it success, he added.

P&D Board Member PPP, Agha Waqar Javed said that the PPP Cell P&D and Punjab Transport department jointly arranged the consultative workshop to get a sense of the market. “We want this project to be the most successful project under PPP mode and we look forward for best investment plans from investors for these terminals, as it will be a flagship project of PPP Cell indeed,” said Agha Waqar Javed.

Secretary Transport, Secretary C&W Department, Commissioner Lahore, DG LDA, Managing Director Engineering Consultancy Services Punjab, government officials and foreign delegates from Turkey, China and other countries also attended the consultative workshop.