PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan formally launched the ‘Zu bus service’ on three Bus Rapid Transit feeder routes in Hayatabad here on Monday.

First of the three routes is between the Mall of Hayatabad and Phase-VI via Basharat Market, second between Karkhano Market and Phase-VII terminal via Industrial Estate and third between the Mall of Hayatabad and Haji Camp via Bagh-i-Naran.

Initially, 25 Zu buses will ply on the three routes to take commuters from various points of Hayatabad to the main BRT corridor between 6am and 10pm.

Addressing the launching ceremony as the chief guest, CM Mahmood Khan said the Peshawar BRT project was the best of all such bus systems launched in the country.

He said four more feeder routes would be inaugurated in near future.

The chief minister said in light of the increasing popularity and utility of the BRT service, the number of buses and feeder routes would be increased to benefit the entire population of Peshawar region.

He said the people had made positive criticism of delay in the launch of BRT service and lauded the project after its completion.

“The Peshawar BRT is a unique system of public transport equipped with all modern facilities. There is a huge difference between the BRT system of Peshawar and those of other cities,” he said.

Mr Mahmood invited those criticising the Peshawar BRT project for ‘political point scoring’ to use the bus service to know how better it was compared to the rapid bus system functioning in other cities.

He said the 27 kilometers long main corridor of Peshawar BRT with 13 kilometers long elevated portion had been completed at a cost of Rs31 billion.

Later, the chief minister rode a BRT bus along with his cabinet members.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2020