Infrastructure and Transport News

[Neo]

NHA to start phase-III of project N-55 soon ​

ISLAMABAD (October 13 2007): The National Highway Authority (NHA) will soon start work on Phase-III of Indus Highway (N-55) rehabilitation and dualisation project with a $174 million Japanese soft loan.

" Tender inviting consultant has been advertised while tender inviting contractors to construct the Indus Highway Phase-III to build a two-lane carriageway between Sehwan and Ratodero would be floated soon," the NHA sources informed APP on Friday.

757km out of 1264km long Project N-55 has been completed in Phase-I & II while the remaining 465km section would be completed in Phase-III, the sources added. This project will strengthen the capacity of the Indus Highway an integral part of the National Trade Corridor.

The project N-55, as compared to the National Highway (N-5), shortens about 500-km distance between Karachi and Peshawar and its completion will certainly provide swift transportation services to and from Karachi. It would open up the West Bank of River Indus for wider economic activities will be instrumental in bringing socio-economic progress to the less developed areas, sources added.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[Neo]

Rs 4.5 billion Ali Bandar-Nagarparkar road to be built soon ​

KARACHI (October 17 2007): Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that a 208-km road between Ali Bandar and Nagarparkar would soon be constructed with a cost of Rs 4.5 billion while the work on another 18-km-long road from Dangi to Ali Bandar was underway with estimated cost of Rs 580 million.

This he said while talking to people during an open kachechry and meetings with different delegations at his native village Khaitlari in Tharparkar district. MNA Arbab Zakullah, MPAs Arbab Abdullah, Abdur Razaq Rahimoon, Senator Abdul Gafar Qureshi, District Nazim Arbab Anwar, DIG Mirpurkhas Pir Mohammad Abbasi, district officials, elected representatives and people from different areas of Tharparkar district were also present on the occasion.

The chief minister said that these roads would benefit people of Tharparkar and Badin districts, adding the present government was serving people without any discrimination.

The chief minister listened to problems of people sympathetically and issued on the spot orders to resolve them. He said that the country had been put on the road to prosperity owing to the dynamic leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf. "We would achieve a massive victory in the next general election in view of our performance," he said.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim expressed sorrow and grief over the demise of former NWFP Chief Minister Arbab Jahangir Khan, and death of 19 people who drowned in sea near Gadani beach.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[Neo]

'Islamabad airport be named after Liaquat Ali Khan' ​

KARACHI (October 17 2007): The Quaid-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan Memorial Committee has reiterated its demand for naming Islamabad Airport after Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister and the national hero of Pakistan who was assassinated in Rawalpindi in 1951.

In a resolution adopted on Tuesday at a meeting held to commemorate the 56th death anniversary of the first Prime Minister of Pakistan it said that the name of airport will be a living tribute to his unprecedented sacrifice to the cause of Pakistan.

Meeting further observed that there are numerous examples and traditions set by various countries all over the world where the airports were named after the names of national heroes who sacrificed their lives while holding constitutional office in their respective countries like late US President John F Kennedy. The NewYork Airport was named after him.

Speaking on the occasion, the General Secretary of the Committee, Mehfooz-un-Nabi Khan stressed the need of a broad-based national reconciliation at the time when Pakistan was passing through a critical moment of its history. Earlier, in the morning, the members of Quaid-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan Memorial Committee paid a visit to the grave of Liaquat Ali Khan and laid floral wreaths and offered Fateha as well.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[Neo]

University Road: Sindh government to spend Rs 294 million on reconstruction ​

KARACH (October 18 2007): Sindh government will spend around Rs 294 million on rehabilitation and reconstruction of the University Road while the project would be completed in six months.

The development took place after the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) refused to provide the much needed funds of Rs 312 million, which it had pledged under Tameer-e-Karachi Programme (TKP) on bridge-financing basis, sources in Works and Services Department of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) told Business Recorder on Wednesday.

The PIA, after paying the first instalment of Rs 18 million, had refused to pay the remaining amount, which accounts for Rs 294 million, saying that the national flag-career was already facing a huge deficit, they added.

"Sindh government is now financing the project with the remaining amount of Rs 294 million investment", sources said. One track of the road has recently been opened for the public transport and the project would take at least six months to be completed.

It may be recalled that rehabilitation and reconstruction of the most-awaited project was initiated in August 2005 which has been a permanent source of inconvenience to public transport in general and students and teachers of the Islamia Collage and Dawood University of Engineering and Technology in particular.

To avoid traffic problems and inconvenience to the commuters the city government had devised a "sub-phases" based strategy to complete the belatedly started project, according to which the CDGK was to reconstruct the 1,500 metres road from the People's Chowrangi to Jail Chowrangi in the first sub-phase.

While the reconstruction work from Jail Chowrangi to New Town and New Town to Hassan Squire will be undertaken in the second and third phases respectively.

In the second phase, as per amendment, the road would be reconstructed from Hassan Squire to the Super Highway and for this purpose the funds would be provided by the federal government. The city government had set a 24-month target for completion of the project.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[Moin91]

Unique railway track on verge of elimination

Saturday, October 20, 2007
By Nasrullah Afridi

BARA: Historical Peshawar-Torkham railway track of the British era is facing elimination because of negligence on the part of the concerned authorities.

Constructed at the cost of Rs210 million in 1920, the track has been washed away at a number of places by floodwater and the Khyber Safari Train Service being run by the Ministry of Tourism has been suspended for the last four months. The Archaeology and Tourism Departments seem least interested in resuming the service, which people believe would be a setback for the tourism industry of the country.

The British government had planned to build the track in 1890 for military purpose but work on the project could not be initiated until 1920 due to border dispute with Afghanistan. The project was eventually completed in 1925. The main objective of laying the track was the quick mobilisation of the troops and ammunition to the border region. The laying of the 30-mile track from Peshawar Cantonment to Landi Khana passing through 34 tunnels was the great achievement of the British government.

The track has found its place in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the only railway track that crosses runway of an airport (Peshawar International Airport). After creation of Pakistan, the track has been used for operation of Khyber Safari Train, which attracted a large number of national and international tourists.

The Pakistan Railways recruited many people to take care of the track but they receive their salaries while sitting at home. As a result of their negligence, the track was in a bad shape, especially from Landikotal to Landi Khana, even before the recent floods.

The track from Peshawar to Landikotal was functional but the flood on June 28 this year destroyed the track to such an extent that the officials halted the train operation, ended a chapter of tourism in Khyber Agency. A good piece of engineering is to be remembered as history because railways officials seem disinterested in its repair.

If the track is repaired, it could not only improve tourism but could also be of great help for trade between Pakistan and Central Asia through Afghanistan and could be the beginning of a new era in terms of economic benefits.

 

[Neo]

Lufthansa starts Karachi and Lahore service on October 30 ​

KARACHI (October 25 2007): The Lufthansa German Airlines (LGA) has announced to start its flights towards Karachi and Lahore from October 2007, Business Recorder learnt on Wednesday. The Germany-based aviation network is bent upon strengthening the bilateral economic relations by connecting the commercial and industrial cities of Pakistan, Middle East and Germany.

The flight launching ceremony of Lufthansa's Services in Pakistan would be held on October 30 at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Karachi. The inaugural flight from Lufthansa would land at Karachi airport, and would then fly for Lahore carrying the officials concerned and representatives from media next Tuesday.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[fatman17]

i wonder if it will make any difference now. everyone is so used to catching flights from dubai these days, but it may trigger confidence in other european airlines to re-commence direct services to karachi/lahore/isld.

 

[PakistaniPatriot]

InshAllah it will. This is a good start.

 

[Neo]

Inaugural of Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway today ​

ISLAMABAD (October 30 2007): With the delay of more than 10 years, Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-I) will be opened for traffic on Tuesday (today). President Pervez Musharraf will grace the opening ceremony of the much-awaited project, Chairman National Highway Authority (NHA) Major General Imtiaz Ahmed told a news conference here on Monday.

Briefing the media persons, Imtiaz Ahmed said M-I project will be operationalised from Tuesday, however, it would be fully completed till June 2008.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has remained under severe criticism over an inordinate delay in completion of the mega project that has resultantly inflated the cost of project. The project escaped many controversies including the termination of the contract awarded to a Turkish firm-Bayindir.

Responding to a question, NHA chairman said two sections; Islamabad-Burhan and Rashakai-Charsadda are already open for the traffic. Whereas, he continued, the remaining sections of 154-Kilometer M-I project would now also be opened. M-I consists of three major river bridges, 10 interchanges and the design speed is 120 km/hr.

Imtiaz was of the opinion that the mega project would not only play important role with regard to the development of the National Trade Corridor, but it would also help turning the proposed plan of Asian Highway network into a reality.

After lots of controversies, the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway project has now completed by a consortium of Pakistani contractors with the total cost of Rs 36 billion.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=110576

 

[Neo]

Lufthansa resumes operation ​

LAHORE (October 30 2007): Lufthansa resumed its flight operations from Pakistan with LH658 flight landing at the Allama Iqbal International Airport here on Monday after its stopover at the Karachi Airport.

High-ranking officials and dignitaries of the country, including Senate Chairman Mohammad Mian Soomro, welcomed the Lufthansa delegation headed by Joachim Steinbach, Airlines Vice President Sales and Services South East Europe, Africa and Middle East and Pakistan and guests of the inaugural flight, a release issued here said.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[Neo]

KPT flyover opened for traffic ​

KARACHI (October 30 2007): Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri on Monday opened the KPT flyover for traffic. The flyover has been constructed by Karachi Port Trust under President's backed 'Tameer-e-Karachi' program at a cost of Rs 73 million, a press release issued here said.

The Minister said that the flyover was yet another project which was completed by his ministry under the present government regime. Terming completion of the project as timely, he appreciated the efforts of KPT Chairman Vice Admiral Ahmad Hayat and his team and other concerned, said the press release.

The flyover was completed within the stipulated time. During a briefing, the project director said that total length of flyover is 360 metres and it has two lanes for moving in the same direction.

He said that the flyover would provide ease to the traffic moving on Moulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road from PIDC Bridge to Jinnah Bridge. The project director said that design life of the (flyover) bridge structure is 50 years, and the flyover has been built on the standards of American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

 

[Neo]

A-380 a distant dream for Pakistan ​

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

KARACHI: No international carrier has so far showed its willingness to bring the new generation jumbo Airbus 380 to Pakistan, Farooq Rehmatullah, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), told The News on Monday.

“We have to engage the airline for that. So far, none of them has given any indications in this regard,” he said, adding that was the reason it was premature to build the expensive airport infrastructure for the aircraft, which could carry 500-plus passengers.

Emirates, the Dubai-based carrier, had ordered A-380s but they would probably be operated on longer routes, he said. “And the airlines operating between Europe, the US and Pakistan don’t have that much load to carry.” A-380 of Singapore Airlines made its first commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney on Oct 25.

A-380 a distant dream for Pakistan

 

[solid snake]

Who needs the A-380 anyway? We certainly don't. There's no need for it in Pakistan because aviation sector is still growing and our airports are not equipped to handle the plane. We should worry about it when there are so many flights coming in and out that our ATC's have trouble catching sleep.

 

[Contrarian]

The point is that the airports SHOULD be equipped to accomodate the plane! The airport infrastructure should be sufficient enough that the ATC crew gets rest, rotation, etc, etc. Thats the entire damn point!

There is currently only 1 airport in India that can handle the A-380, however almost all the new airports being built and renovated are being prepared for the A-380. India's airport infrastructure sucks BIG TIME...thankfully it is being tackled on a war footing now.Almost all the existing airports in the major cities are being completely revamped and expanded.

 

[Neo]

Apart from prestige there's not much A-380 can add to Pakistani airports. The long distance trunkliner is ideal for high density routes such as Sydney-Singapore, Delhi-Los Angeles, Tokyo-New York, London-Bangkok etc.

Pakistani airports haven't developped themselves as major regional hubs yet, designs like B743/4, B772/3 and A333/343 are much more effective serving Karachi and Lahore.