The Punjab Transport Department will introduce Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System (LRMTS) to provide international standard intra-city travelling facilities to the passengers of the metropolis with the cost of 2.4 billion dollars.
This mega project will be completed till 2020 and its first green track will be accomplished till 2012.The green track will stretch over 27-killometer track. This was stated by Chairman Planning and Development Suleman Ghani while talking to media men after addressing a seminar regarding the Lahore Rapid Mass Transport System, held here at a local hotel on Thursday. He said that the completion of the green track is the first and foremost priority of the Punjab government and after its accomplishment, better, fast and safe travelling facilities would be available for the common people.
He further said that Lahore was the second largest urban centre in Pakistan. In mid 2006 government estimates put the population at around 9 million people which places Lahore in the top 30 of the world's largest cities, he added. The population is growing rapidly and 30 percent of the workforce is employed in construction and car ownership is rising at 10-15 percent per annum, he pointed out.
He said that there are currently some 13.5 million daily commuters using various modes of transport. The public transport system of Lahore has not kept pace with the growing number of travellers, with the result that private car travelling is outstripping the highway network capacity and congestion is increasing on every passing day.
Consequently, attention is now focused on developing high quality; rail based rapid mass transit solutions for the city, he maintained.
The Regional Director and transport consultant Mazhar Iqbal while talking to Business Recorder said that after the completion of this project more than 200,000 people would travel daily through green track which would start from Humza Town to Shahdra Town and total route would be 27 km, he maintained.
Chairman P&D Suleman Ghani talking to this scribe said that according to feasibility report, the project had to be completed by 2012 but "we are trying our best to complete it in 2011, because the World Cup would be held in 2012 and before this we have to complete it," he observed.
The Secretary Transport Agha Nadeem, head of Provincial Transport Authority Khalid Mehmood Mehla and Regional Transport Secretary Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal and representatives of the various transport related departments and foreign consultants from various countries are also participating in the seminar.