BRT bus service restored after hiatus of over a month

PESHAWAR: The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) restored its service on Saturday after a month-long hiatus owing to the frequent fire incidents in the buses, according to a BRT spokesperson.

The BRT service was suspended last month after repeated fire incidents compelled the government to conduct an audit of the buses and ascertain the faults.

The spokesperson said the bus service will run from 6am to 10pm, whereas, the Express Route on Central Corridor has also been activated and a special route is introduced from Khyber Bazaar to Mall of Hayatabad.

Delving further into details, he said that the bus will stop at each station at platform number 2, underscoring that the service was restored after a comprehensive inspection of all buses, installation of new equipment, load, and road testing to ensure the safety of the passengers.

Read more: Citizens face difficulties after BRT service suspended

The spokesperson, however, stressed the need for all commuters to wear facemasks as a preventive measure against COVID-19. He added that passengers must follow all the standing operating procedures (SOPs) shared by the organisation as this was in the best interest of the public.

He said that the early resumption of service showed the company’s commitment to ensure the best, reliable, and safe transport service to commuters.

“The bus manufacturing company experts in close coordination and supervision of TransPeshawar worked day and night to identify and rectify issues in the bus that were hampering the service,” he added.

“The BRT buses will reach every station within two to four minutes of headway so that passengers can easily wait for the next bus in case of a rush. This will help in avoiding the rush of commuters in the buses and stations,” he pointed out.

Read more: BRT project 'state of the art service delivering like no other in Pakistan', says Jhagra

He said the commuters of BRT can always dial TransPeshawar helpline 091-111-477-477 for registering their complaints and suggestions.

Why was BRT service suspended?

The BRT service was suspended after the fifth incident of fire in a bus on September 16. It had alarmed the government and the commuters and prompted TransPeshawar to suspend the service.

The service was launched on August 13 amid criticism over the delay in its completion and the high cost of the flagship project of the PTI government.

The previous PTI provincial government that ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2013-2018 had launched work on the project in October 2017 with a pledge by the then chief minister Pervez Khattak to complete it in six months and start the bus service in April 2018.

However, several deadlines were missed before Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the service on August 13 this year.