PESHAWAR: The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Peshawar is intended to offer subsidized and high-quality transport services to the people, rather than generating revenue, said BRT spokesperson Sadaf Kamil in a statement on Monday.
Kamil explained that to meet the project’s expenses, Trans Peshawar required funds and financial support and that 99% of public transport systems worldwide are run with government financial support.
Despite the increase in diesel prices, the BRT has not increased fares, which remain nominal, according to Kamil.
Completion of under-construction commercial properties associated with the BRT project would also increase revenue, she said.
Kamil added that Peshawar BRT had served 150 million passengers in the past two years, with over 300,000 passengers using the service daily.
Each BRT passenger gets a subsidy of around Rs. 40, she said, adding that the subsidy could be reduced by increasing fares, but it would adversely affect commuters.
The spokesperson assured that the revenue and expenditure details of the BRT project are available on Trans Peshawar’s website.
Meanwhile, Awami National Party (ANP) provincial president Aimal Wali Khan has called for an immediate investigation into the corruption of the BRT project.
Khan claimed that the financial losses incurred by the national treasury in the name of the BRT project were much higher than those caused by the losses to business, infrastructure, and life of Peshawar.
