Let’s pedal our way to a healthy economy

transport

The KP transport department founded TransPeshawar in 2013 based on the study conducted on mass transportation. TransPeshawar is funded by the Cities Development Initiative for Asia, a development programme by the Asian Development Bank.

Recently, TransPeshawar has launched the Zu-bicycle Sharing Service for the first time in Pakistan after the successful run of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The BRT provides high-frequency services with multiple routes. BRT vehicles travel a designated corridor in the city’s busiest parts and have also added off-corridor travel.

Zu-bicycle Sharing Service is the second phase of BRT project in partnership with LMKR. The company has dedicated a separate track for cyclists along the 28-kilometer BRT corridor.

With the inauguration of bicycle service, Peshawar has become the first city of Pakistan using bicycles as public transport in the city. For the bicycle project, TransPeshawar has acquired 360 state-of-the-art bicycles docked at 32 stations around Peshawar University and Hayatabad area. The bicycle kiosks, installed at each bicycle station, will have a facility for customers to view their cards’ status and access their credentials. By adding non-mechanised traffic along the whole hallway and giving first and last-mile networks, the Peshawar BRT encourages contamination-free climate, great wellbeing, and comfort for commuters. The BRT public transport system’s motivation is to expand admittance and utilise public transit while avoiding traffic congestion and lessening carbon emission in Peshawar streets. It is additionally about a manageable, dependable, and practical facility for people in general for quite a long time to follow.

In this regard a formal launching ceremony was held at the Peshawar University last month. The ceremony was attended by government officials, including the Provincial Minister Transport of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr Shah Muhammad Khan. “The government is determined to fulfill its commitment to provide the best public transport system to the people of Peshawar,” said Mr Shah Muhammad Khan. “Now it's your turn to use the public transport as responsible citizens of the country,” he added.

“With the induction of Zu-bicycles as means of public transport, Peshawar will be the first city of the country to take the leap in reducing carbon emissions to curb pollution which is on a high in this region,” stated Mr Fayyaz Khan, CEO of TransPeshawar. “TransPeshawar has outsourced BRT and Zu bicycle management, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), and security to LMK Resources (Pvt) Ltd, a globally recognised organisation working in Pakistan. Once customers are registered in the system and have deposited requisite security, they can use the Zu smart card or Zu mobile app to rent bicycles, which can be released from docks,” he informed. The TransPeshawar said it understand that the borrowing of bicycles and their safe return after use would be new to the people but a distinctive reward system had been built in the web, mobile and system apps to encourage good behaviours.

“LMKR is proud to play its part in creating smart, sustainable, ethical, and inclusive transportation systems across the country,” elucidated Jahanzeb Moazzam Khan, CEO LMKR Pakistan. “Zu bicycle, a programme which offers city dwellers a green and affordable means of transport, is a testament to the role technology can play in creating a resilient and inclusive society. We are happy to see Peshawar as the First City in Pakistan to offer this service,” he expressed.

Kamran Bangash, Special Assistant to the CM for Higher Education and Information, tweeted, “The wait is finally over and the Zu cycles are open for public use”.

“With more than 300 cycles scattered at key locations in UoP, healthy and cheap commute finally becomes a reality. Let’s pedal our way to a healthy economy and revive the beautiful city of flowers,” maintained an official, present at the occasion.