Punjab Budget 2011-12: Rs 36,650 million allocated for road sector

With a vision to upgrade, augment and maintain a modern road network in the province under most cost-effective, optimised and quality-oriented development and management regimes, the Punjab government has set aside an amount of Rs 36,650 million for road sector in the budget 2011-12. This allocation shows an increase of over 31.71 percent as compared to the road sector's revised allocation during the year 2010-11.
As per budget document, roads are a predominant mode of transport in the country commuting more than 90 percent of the passengers and freight traffic with an average yearly growth rate of 4.5 percent and 10.5 percent respectively. To tackle the large increases in the traffic population densities, road network in the province has expanded to over 82,000km by the year 2009. Estimated value of road assets in the province exceeds Rs 200 billion. In recent years, overall demand for road transport has grown at 7 to 8 percent per year, which surpasses the average GDP growth rate over the last decade.
With transfer of major part of farm-to-market/district roads network to the district governments since devolution, the provincial road sector has been focusing on consolidating and maintaining the existing inter-district roads, while catering for rehabilitation of the rural-access roads under an umbrella programme, official sources claimed.
Sectoral priorities identified for Punjab's road sector in the MTDF (2011-14) include consolidating existing road assets through rehabilitation/improvement and upgradation with an aim to minimise the huge fiscal throw-forward accumulated in the sector due to excessive demands and resulting expansion in the road network over previous years; completing ongoing schemes for roads/bridges, developing province-wide secondary routes (covering north-south and east-west corridors) linking national motorways/trade corridors to foster economic opportunities via meeting, expanding domestic and international travel and trade demands; improving average road densities to achieve optimal traffic density levels in consonance with increasing transportation requirements and targeted economic growth in the province; implementing initiatives to improve road safety and axle-load conditions to achieve substantial reduction in road accidents and avert premature road distress, undertaking widening/improvement of existing roads to 20'/24' width for roads with traffic densities exceeding 800 VPD - targeting to achieve full coverage over the medium term (up to 2018); dualisation of main arteries conveying 8,000 VPD by the year 2025, improving geometry of existing roads and removal of black spots and undertaking improvements in road design and specifications.
As per budget document, Punjab Development Programme (PDP) will be continued in 2011-12 with an allocation of Rs 3, 000 million to finance locally identified small scale development schemes for improvement of local social infrastructure and also to generate employment for poverty reduction. Southern Punjab Basic Urban Services Project initiated in 6 districts of South Punjab viz. Rajanpur, D G Khan, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Khanewal and Bahawalpur would be completed. As many as 123 ongoing projects in various sectors would be completed during the year 2011-12. Punjab Municipal Improvement Services Project would be continued for development of municipal infrastructure, ie water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, drainage, street lighting, roads, parks, bus stands, bridges, fire fighting and capacity building of selected TMAs.