PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s mega project Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) today.
Under this project costing more than Rs. 71 billion, 220 buses will be run which will benefit more than three and a half lakh passengers daily.
Citizens of Peshawar will now be able to travel in state-of-the-art air-conditioned buses equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in which they will have access to Wi-Fi and other facilities including mobile charging.
Passengers will be charged Rs. 10 to the first stop and Rs. 5 for a distance of 5 km.
Advanced passenger information systems have been developed, while automatic gates have been installed on the platforms for the safety and efficiency of passengers. Automatic escalators and elevators will also be available at bus stations for the convenience of passengers.
Special Assistant for Information Kamran Bangash said that the 27-hour journey from Chamkani to Karkhano Market would now take only 45 minutes from Zo Express and one hour via BRT stopping route.
He said that citizens will be able to pay rent through mobile app and travel card while also through token system.
In addition, 32 BRT cycle tracks and bicycle stations have been set up, and eco-friendly buses have been selected for the project.
When did work on the project begin?
The cornerstone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s mega-project BRT was laid in October 2017 under former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, with a six-month deadline for its completion. However, at least eight deadlines were set for the inauguration of the project.
The initial cost of the project was estimated at Rs. 49 billion, but due to design flaws in the project, it was changed more than two dozen times, bringing its cost to over Rs. 71 billion.
The government claims that the project has been completed ahead of schedule.
The BRT project has been borrowed on easy terms from the Asian Development Bank and the provincial government has paid 15% of the cost of the project.
On the orders of the High Court, the NAB and the FIA investigated irregularities in the project, but the provincial government had sought a restraining order from the Supreme Court in this regard.
Good news for Peshawar citizens, inauguration of BRT Project announced
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