The process of adding new buses to Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is underway to provide citizens with modern and improved transport facilities. According to TransPeshawar, 25 of the 52 buses purchased this year have arrived in the provincial capital, while the remaining 27 are also expected to arrive. Once all the buses are added, the total fleet of the BRT system will increase to 296 buses.
The arrival of the new buses is expected to improve services on the main BRT corridor and feeder routes, accommodate the growing number of passengers, reduce waiting times and provide more citizens with access to public transport. Improved public transport can help people travelling daily for work, education, business and medical treatment save both time and money.
Several initiatives have also been introduced to improve the BRT system, including new hybrid buses, a dedicated Pink Bus service for women, a new depot in Hayatabad and a solar energy project at the Chamkani depot. The Pink Bus service aims to provide women with safe and comfortable travel facilities, while the additional buses are expected to ease passenger congestion during peak hours and expand the system’s capacity.
These developments highlight the importance of prioritising everyday facilities, transportation and public services, alongside security, to improve citizens’ quality of life. Reliable public transport is particularly important for students, employees, women and low-income families in a major city like Peshawar.
Debate continues over administrative priorities and the provision of public facilities in the province following the imposition of the emergency. However, the BRT bus expansion project was initiated before the emergency.
The key challenge now is to ensure that all new buses enter service on schedule, improve their availability across routes and deliver tangible benefits to commuters. The true measure of any government or administration’s performance lies in providing citizens with safe, reliable and affordable transport facilities.