As per recent reports, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government officially announced the fares for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. The starting point of the fares shall be Rs. 15. From there, the fares can go up to a maximum of Rs. 50, depending on the distance traveled between the stations.
Earlier last month, KP Transport Minister Shah Muhammad had stated that the Peshawar BRT project will be ready by June next year. During his address in the provincial assembly session, Shah Muhammad stated that the initial cost of BRT, which was Rs. 60 billion, has increased due to alterations in its design and architecture.
Minister Shah Muhammad was adamant, however, that the flagship project would’ve been completed at a much lower cost of Rs. 17 billion, had the previous government leased the railway track. The inauguration of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was originally set to take place in April 2020, as per the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai.
BRT’s route is set to begin from Chamkani, all the way up to Hayatabad, making for a total distance of 26 kilometers with 31 stations. As per the reports, the project is also set to enhance the current infrastructure, with the addition of footpaths, bicycle lanes and bicycle stands at the station to provide convenience to the bicycle riders.
There’s been a lot of speculation, and a fair number of controversies surrounding the project. With the announcement of the fares, however, the government seems to be making some headway into the establishment of this facility.
“Halal Metro” / “6 Months Metro” / “No subsidy Metro” would’ve been more apt names for this BRT