22 BRT buses arrive in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The first lot of 18-meter long buses Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) reached in the provincial capital and more buses would come soon, said a representative of TransPeshawar on Saturday.

“The buses were transported from China via Karachi seaport and brought to Peshawar by road,” he added.

The current lot of 20 buses comprises of 18-meter long articulated buses. These buses will run on BRT corridor only. First of its kind, these buses are hybrid and can run on diesel as well as electric charge and these are environment friendly and tend to reduce carbon emissions in the city.

According to a careful estimate by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Peshawar BRT once implemented would reduce 31,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually when compared to the existing transport system of Peshawar.

These buses will be WIFI-enabled with AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) facility - a feature to track real time location of bus. Though the bus has total seats of 54 but overall it can accommodate 125 passengers.

A total of 220 buses are purchased by TransPeshawar for the project. Out of these, 155 are 12-meter-long buses while 65 are 18-meter-long buses. A total of 50, 12-meter buses are already in Peshawar and with these 20, there are 70 buses in the city. Another lot of 57 buses are planned to reach in June, 2019.

TransPeshawar is committed to ensuring inclusion of all citizens of Peshawar may it be students, women, elderly or People with Disabilities (PWDs).

A significant feature of BRT bus is UAS – Universal Access System, a key factor to globally rate/evaluate BRT systems. Consisting of low floor and ramps for wheelchair users, buses are equipped with automatic sliding bridges (ramps) to facilitate them (including additional seat belts).

In addition, passenger information displays and voice prompts are added in system along with dedicated middle section of bus for PWDs.

All these buses are, already, low-floored to ensure easy access of senior citizen. As per cultural needs of the region, the buses have a separate section for women as well as priority seating to ensure gender smart livable city for all. Further to add to their comfort and safety, all buses have closed-circuit television cameras, and separate compartment for driver.

“Well-tested to cater to harsh weather, the buses have weather resistant paint and are fully air-conditioned. All the buses have with USB charging points along with hand grips/pillars to support standing passengers and we aim to provide best of service for travelers of Zu system,” the statement added.