PESHAWAR: Female students of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University have demanded that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and TransPeshawar extend the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service to their university, saying the lack of affordable and reliable public transport is creating serious difficulties for hundreds of students, particularly those travelling from distant parts of Peshawar and adjoining districts.
Talking to this correspondent, several students said they spend hours commuting every day because the BRT bus service is only available on the main road, while the University Road lacks a proper transport system to give access to female students safely.
“We have to leave our homes very early in the morning just to reach classes on time. Many students are forced to use expensive private transport or multiple local vans because there is no direct BRT access to the university,” a student said.
Another student said transportation expenses have become an additional financial burden on families. “Many of us belong to middle and lower-income families. Paying daily fares for rickshaws or private vans is difficult. If BRT reaches our university, it will significantly reduce our transport costs,” she added.
A student from Charsadda, Nayab Khan, said she spends more than two hours travelling every day. “Sometimes I miss my first lecture because there is no proper public transport connection. A BRT feeder route would save both time and money.”
Another student said female commuters often face safety concerns while travelling in public transport and rickshaws. “BRT offers a safer and more organized travel system for women compared to ordinary public transport. Extending the service to our university would encourage more girls to continue higher education.”
Students further said transport issues also affect attendance and academic performance. “Many students arrive exhausted after long journeys. Some even skip classes because transport is unavailable or too costly.”
The students urged the provincial government and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to introduce a dedicated BRT feeder route connecting major BRT stations with the university campus.
Launching a dedicated BRT feeder bus for Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University is the long-standing demand of the female students; however, the Chief Minister has yet to address this issue.
The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Peshawar currently operates through a main corridor supported by feeder routes across different parts of the city. Students believe extending a feeder route to the university would improve accessibility for hundreds of female students and reduce dependence on costly private transport.
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