PESHAWAR: Fifty million people travelled in Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) during the current year, an official press statement said.

Addressing on the occasion of unveiling of annual performance report at TransPeshawar office, the provincial government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said that despite pandemic-related restrictions, more than 50 million passengers used the BRT service.

The bus service also ensured implementation of Covid-19 standard operating procedure devised by government.

Mr Saif said that average daily ridership of BRT reached more than 220,000, following the life started to return to normal after the successive waves of pandemic.

He said that prior to launch of BRT, women commuters’ ratio in the city stood at less than two per cent. After the commencement of bus service, the ratio jumped to 20 per cent, he added.

Mr Saif said that more than one million BRT Zu cards were sold in 2021 alone. He said that more than 350 old buses and wagons were also scrapped after the launch of the bus service, reducing the air pollution and traffic congestion in the city.

He said on public demand, TransPeshawar commenced another express route to facilitate maximum passengers in addition to existing routes. He said that BRT resulted into decline in number of traffic accidents as well traffic congestion. Besides, he said, the travel expense of common man also reduced significantly.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2021