PESHAWAR: To address the shortage of buses on the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has purchased 50 more buses at a cost of Rs2.139 billion. The BRT total fleet reached to 296 buses.
As per media reports, KP Finance Adviser Muzzammil Aslam said thta of the total 50 newly purchased buses, 25 buses have already reached Peshawar, while the remaining buses will arrive in the next phase. Two of the buses are being provided by the company as a gift.
He said the addition of the new buses will increase the BRT fleet from the existing 244 buses to 269, while the total number will reach 296 after the remaining buses are delivered.
Aslam said the Peshawar BRT operates on a 27-kilometre route with a planned fleet of 296 buses. He compared it with other major cities, saying Lahore Metro covers 28 kilometres with 64 buses, while Multan Metro operates on an 18.7-kilometre route with 43 buses. The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro, he added, covers 83 kilometres with 99 buses.
According to TransPeshawar, five of the existing BRT buses will be dedicated to women, with details of their routes expected to be finalised soon. TransPeshawar had recommended the purchase of 100 additional buses to address the shortage, comprising 50 diesel-hybrid and 50 electric buses.
Following approval from the provincial cabinet, the first phase covers the purchase of 50 diesel-hybrid buses, while another 50 electric buses are planned for the second phase. The total estimated cost of purchasing the 100 buses is Rs3.2 billion.
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