Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has launched a Pink Bus Service for women.
The new service is part of the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
The chief minister also launched new hybrid buses. He also opened the Mall of Hayatabad BRT Depot and a solar power project at Chamkani Depot.
Five Pink Buses will run in the first phase. These buses will be for women.
Women will also get a 25 per cent discount on fares.
The buses will travel from Gulbahar Chowk to Karkhano Market. The route is around 21 kilometres long. It has 18 stations.
The service will run from Monday to Friday. Buses will operate in the morning, afternoon and evening. Buses will arrive around every 15 minutes.
Pink buses to provide safer travel for women
The Pink Bus Service aims to make travel safer and easier for women.
Female students and working women can use the service. Other female passengers can also travel on these buses.
Children can also travel on Pink Buses. However, boys above the age of 12 will not be allowed.
Speaking at the launch, Sohail Afridi said he had promised to introduce buses for women. He said the service was now running.
He also praised female drivers. He called them role models for other women.
The government plans to add more Pink Buses in the future. It also plans to start the service on more routes.
52 new hybrid buses added to Peshawar BRT
The government has also added 52 new hybrid buses to Peshawar BRT.
The BRT fleet has now increased from 244 to 296 buses.
The chief minister also opened a 1MW solar project at Chamkani Depot. The project is expected to produce around 1.38 to 1.44 million units of electricity each year. It is expected to save around Rs74.4 million every year. The project could also cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 469 tonnes each year.
The new Mall of Hayatabad Depot has parking and inspection facilities. It also has workshops and a fuel station. An automatic bus washing plant is also available at the depot. The depot also has facilities for drivers and other staff.