Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The PTI Government flagship Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) here Friday attracted a large number of passengers, women, youth, children and students on the Independence Day of Pakistan.
BRT, which was launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday, received an overwhelming response from Peshawarties on the second day of its formal opening and all its 220 hybrid air conditioned buses remained jam packed. Great rush of passengers were being seen in BRT stations where people were obtaining ZU cards.
“BRT is a modern, safe, affordable and comfortable mode of traveling that sparked widespread jubilations among residents of Khyber Pakthunkhwa especially of Peshawar. BRT was a gift of PTI Government for people of this historic city who faced great traffic congestion problems in the past,” said Sajid Khan, an official of Government department waiting outside of Hasthnagri BRT station in long queue to secure a ZU ticket told APP.
He said hundreds of thousands of Government employees, students, patients, women, labourers and daily wagers have started travelling in BRT and response of people was amazing. BRT takes less than 45 minutes to reach the last station i.e. Hayatabad from starting point Chamkani against about three hours time taken by private Mazda buses and wagons on the said route.
Shahbaz Khan, an employee of a public sector corporation was highly jubilant after seeing inauguration of BRT and termed it a gift of PTI Govt for people of Peshawar on occasion of 74rd Independence Day of Pakistan. He said fare of BRT was in the limit of common man as people started enjoying quality travelling facility after a long time by paying only Rs10 for five kilometers distance and Rs 50 for the whole Chamkani-Hayatabad Route against Rs 70 charged by private Mazda buses and Wagons for the whole route.
He said BRT was the long awaited demand of people of Peshawar that was fulfilled by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday. The special seats for disabled and women in BRT’s buses were its unique feature that were benefiting persons with disabilities, students and patients immensely. “I have travelled in BRT this morning with great level of comfort and enjoyed free Wifi service on the whole route,” said Shahbaz Khan.
He urged BRT administration to discourage overloading of passengers in air conditioned buses for comfort of seated passengers. Bahadar Khan, former Nazim has also expressed happiness over opening of BRT and termed it landmark project that would bring revolution in transport sector in KP.
He said hybrid buses would help control environmental pollution and enhance connectivity besides improve punctuality of employees and students immensely. He said all propaganda of critics died after inauguration of BRT and such propagandist elements were now hiding faces to avoid wrath of people.
He praised Prime Minister Imran Khan for launching of BRT Peshawar on August 13 on eve of Pakistan Independence Day that doubled joy of people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa especially of Peshawar. He said opening of BRT was a historic day in history of Peshawar. The nazim said problems of traffic jams especially during morning and evening would now come to an end and people were enjoying free Wifi and mobile charging facility while travelling in hybrid environment friendly buses.
Approximately 3,40,000 passengers was expected to travel in 220 state-of-the art buses on daily basis while people of peripheries areas were being brought in 128 small buses plying on feeder routes to facilitate passengers to reach their respective destination in a safe, comfortable and affordable journey.
