SOE-Led Consortium to Build Pakistan Bus System

A consortium led by Chinese state-backed contractor E-Hualu Information Technology Co. Ltd. has won a 578 million yuan ($83.69 million) bid to build a bus rapid-transit (BRT) system in Pakistan.

The project in the city of Peshawar, 187 kilometers (116 miles) east of the capital, Islamabad, will see the consortium supply, install and maintain the BRT system, the Beijing-based company said in a statement (link in Chinese) on Monday. E-Hualu’s two partners are Beijing Santel Technology & Trading Corp. and the Pakistan-based LMK Resources Pakistan (Private) Ltd.

The tender — on behalf of the Urban Mobility Co., which was set up by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government — also involves 10 years of operation and maintenance, including ticketing.

“This project in Pakistan — a pioneer country for the Belt and Road Initiative — represents the recognition of an international market,” E-Hualu said in the statement, referring to Beijing’s signature program that aims to develop China’s infrastructure and trade links along historical trade routes.

Founded in 2001, Shenzhen-listed E-Hualu is affiliated with China Hualu Group Co. Ltd., which is directly administrated by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, China’s cabinet.

E-Hualu provides internet services for government-related contracts in sectors that include transportation, public security, and health. It currently operates in more than 300 cities in China and countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, including India and Kenya.

The project in Peshawar is E-Hualu’s second in the country, after it partnered with the government of Islamabad in 2016 to build an electronic policing system.

Contact reporter Mo Yelin (yelinmo@caixin.com)