Latest news with #BRT
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Cabinet okays uplift, pension reforms
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet, in its 34th meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, approved a series of development initiatives and administrative reforms aimed at strengthening infrastructure, healthcare, public service delivery, and pension management across the province. One of the major decisions included the approval for procurement of 50 additional diesel-hybrid buses for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system at a cost of Rs3.2 billion. This move comes in response to the growing public demand and recent expansion of BRT routes from six to eight, including new routes DR-11, DR-13, and DR-14. With this addition, the BRT fleet will grow beyond the current 244 buses, improving service frequency and coverage. The cabinet also approved the merger of four ADP scheme campuses of the "ZamungKor" Model Institute for State Children in Swat, DI Khan, Abbottabad, and Peshawar Girls Campus into the main Peshawar-based autonomous body. The merger aims to streamline operations and improve care for over 1,000 children currently enrolled across the facilities. In a significant financial reform, the cabinet approved Pak Qatar Asset Management as the 13th asset management company under the Contributory Provident (CP) Fund Rules 2022. The CP Fund, introduced in 2015, is part of pension reforms shifting from an unfunded to a funded pension model, ensuring sustainability and investment of pension contributions through SECP-registered firms. The cabinet passed several legal amendments, including revisions to the K-P Right to Public Services Act, 2014. The updates aim to enhance e-governance, coordination, and public accountability, while also introducing provisions for marginalized communities. Amendments were also made to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Public Private Partnership Rules 2021, reducing the bidder response time from 60 to 30 days, to accelerate project delivery. Health sector improvements were also prioritized, with the cabinet approving enhanced funding for several ongoing projects. These include an increase in cost for Balakot's Category-C Hospital from Rs575 million to Rs924.596 million, conversion of 50 rural health centers into 24/7 facilities (Rs1.7 billion), and upgrade of 200 Basic Health Units for round-the-clock maternal care (Rs2.96 billion). Additionally, a Rs346 million grant was sanctioned for modern equipment at Peshawar Institute of Cardiology. The cabinet also approved a non-ADP scheme worth Rs124 million to resume salaries for Provincial Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (PERRA) staff and directed the issuance of termination notices to contract employees from July 2025. Other approvals included financial assistance of Rs10 million for a cancer patient, appointment of Rubab Mehdi as K-P's Ombudsperson, and inclusion of Makniyal in Urban Area Development Authority Haripur. Further allocations included Rs1.5 billion for transformer repair, Rs1.041 billion for settling PESCO dues, and Rs400 million for irrigation sector maintenance. The cabinet lifted a vehicle procurement ban to allow two official vehicles for District and Sessions Judges in Mohmand and Khyber and approved outsourcing of tobacco cess collection (excluding factories). The cabinet also sanctioned the hiring of legal counsel for an anti-narcotics case in the Supreme Court and reviewed land utilization and timber trade mechanisms in Upper Kohistan and Chitral.
The Star
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Smart Selangor bus service in Subang Jaya resumes in full
PETALING JAYA: All five Smart Selangor bus routes in Subang Jaya have resumed service. In an announcement on its social media pages Friday (June 20), the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) included the bus route frequency for routes SJ01, SJ02, SJ03, SJ04 and SJ05. There are three buses each for routes SJ01 (BRT/LRT USJ7 - KTMB Subang Jaya), SJ02 (LRT Pusat Bandar Puchong - LRT SS18) and SJ03 (BRT/LRT Kinrara BK5 - SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya), while four buses serve SJ04 (KTM Serdang - Hospital Serdang) and SJ05 (Putra Permai - Taman Bukit Serdang). For SJ04, an MBSJ spokesperson said a third bus was coming soon. The bus service was halted on May 2 because of issues in obtaining a bus route permit from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) by bus operator SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd. Meanwhile, APAD clarified that the bus operator had submitted the application late and the disruption was not because of a delay in processing the permit. According to MBSJ, SJ01, SJ02 and SJ03 resumed service on May 26.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Mounting frustration as BRT project lags
The metro is facing growing frustration over the prolonged delays with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line 2B expansion along Lynnwood Road. Both residents and councillors are raising the alarm about the sluggish progress. Line 2B of the A Re Yeng system starts at the N1 interchange on Atterbury Road, runs down Atterbury into Lynnwood Road and continues to Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Arcadia. The route is seen as a vital link for east-west commuters, connecting suburbs, schools, universities, and business districts. Ward councillor Siobhan Muller said the project, which was supposed to be completed in November 2024, appears to be going 'backwards' rather than moving forward. According to Muller, the physical building of the project began in 2023. 'For the last three months, it hasn't just stagnated; it's been going in reverse,' Muller said. 'There are ripple effects for everyone, from people trying to access the University of Pretoria to those commuting along Lynnwood Road or dropping children off at nearby schools.' She said the construction delays were being compounded by issues around land expropriation, service relocations, and requests for project extensions. 'This project was meant to ease traffic and benefit the city, but we are now in June and nowhere near completion. It urgently needs to move faster.' Echoing her concerns, DA councillor Dikeledi Selowa criticised the metro administration, calling the repeated delays a failure in governance. 'This project is only at 61% completion, even after a six-month extension,' Selowa said. 'It is clear that this administration has failed to properly finalise the expropriation process and relocation of services, leaving Tshwane exposed to potential legal action.' According to Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the metro has now set a revised completion date of July 18. However, he said the Roads and Transport Department is reviewing a report submitted by the project consultant, requesting yet another extension. Mashigo identified the key causes of delay as land expropriation challenges and slow progress by the contractor. He confirmed the current overall project progress at 62%, with some sections more advanced than others: – King's Highway culvert section: 83% – Culvert upgrade: 90% – Justice Mahomed intersection: 96% – Lynnwood and Atterbury intersection: 46.8% – University and Roper intersection: 25% When asked about the status of land acquisition and service relocation, Mashigo said the expropriation process has been concluded. 'The city is currently processing compensation payments and negotiating remaining agreements.' ALSO READ: Tshwane energy summit pushes for small nuclear reactors as future power solution Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DOTr eyes España-Quezon Avenue busway system
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is eyeing to replicate the EDSA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System or EDSA Busway model in other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, particularly España Boulevard in Manila and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. 'We need more of those (BRTs),' Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Infrastructure Forum in Makati City. 'To me, the most viable and the most needed one is España to Quezon Avenue. That is very important. Busway [at] España, Quezon Avenue. That is going to be very viable…That's wide enough for a busway,' Dizon said. The Transportation chief said there are currently no buses serving commuters, especially students, in the España-Quezon Avenue stretch. 'We're doing FS (feasibility study) now,' he said, adding tthat the completion of the study would be 'hopefully next year.' Asked if the España-Quezon Avenue Busway will be operates by the private sector, Dizon said, 'I think we have to do it government muna…then we'll privatize the O&M (operations and maintenance).' 'It is not difficult to build. Kita mo naman [EDSA] Busway, pandemic lang ginawa nun,' he added. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
BRT fares in K-P raised by Rs10
Listen to article The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority (KPUMA) on Monday announced a Rs10 increase in fares across all stages of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Peshawar, citing a sharp rise in fuel costs. 🚨اربوں کی سبسڈی بھی کام نہ آسکی پشاور بی آر ٹی کے کرایوں میں 10 روپے کا مزید اضافہ۔ کرایوں میں اضافے کا اطلاق یکم جولائی سے ہو گا#BRT #Pakistan #Peshawar #KhyberPakhtunkhwa — KP Forum (@KPForum88) June 16, 2025 According to the official notification, the minimum fare has been revised from Rs20 to Rs30. For Express Routes—marketed as a faster, premium service—the fare has been increased from Rs60 to Rs70. Authorities said the fare adjustment was essential to ensure the continuity of reliable and high-quality transport services. The revised fares will come into effect from July 1, 2025. Officials added that without the revision, rising operational costs could impact the quality and availability of daily transit services for the city's growing number of BRT users. Earlier, Peshawar expanded its BRT network by adding 72 new hybrid diesel buses to meet growing demand and reduce traffic congestion. New BRT routes were launched along Ring Road, Bara Road, and Khyber Road, with civil works set to be completed within six months. The construction of BRT plazas, including Mall of Hayatabad and Dubgari Plaza, was expected to finish by April. To address traffic issues, seven underpasses were planned to be built on Ring Road and University Road, with feasibility studies set to be completed within two months. Additional underpasses in densely populated areas were also proposed, and efforts were made to remove traffic blockages on University Road within a month. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur reaffirmed his commitment to urban development despite financial challenges. It was also decided that BRT-style services would be introduced in four other divisional headquarters: Mardan, Swat, Abbottabad, and Dera Ismail Khan, following feasibility studies.
