PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi has directed the relevant authorities to complete all preparatory work at the earliest for the extension of the Bus Rapid Transit service to Jamrud and Bara tehsils of Khyber district, his hometown.

Chairing a meeting on the proposed extension, the chief minister said that the expansion of the BRT network would significantly ease commuting between Peshawar and Khyber, while providing residents with a safe, reliable and affordable public transport facility, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Mr Afridi added that the extension would also contribute to reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution.

The meeting decided to construct a dedicated ramp at Karkhano station for the BRT service at an estimated cost of Rs500 million.

Officials briefed the meeting on infrastructure requirements, fleet expansion and operational arrangements for the new routes. They said 12 new 12-meter buses would be procured to initiate BRT operations for Jamrud and Bara.

They said eight bus stops would be established along a five kilometres stretch from Karkhano Market to Jamrud Bazaar, while 10 bus stops would be set up over a seven kilometres stretch from Pishtakhara to Bara Bazaar.

The meeting was also informed that the BRT system currently operated 18 routes covering a total distance of 132 kilometres. By June 2026, an additional 52 diesel hybrid buses would be inducted into the fleet at a cost of Rs3.2 billion, while 50 electric buses will be added at a cost of Rs6.2 billion.

Chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah, additional chief secretary planning and development Ikramullah, secretary transport and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2026