Only a day after the resumption of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, the bus plying on the corridor broke down on Sunday and the passengers travelling in it have to be shifted to another one.
The BRT Peshawar resumed its service after a month-long pause following frequent fire incidents in the buses.
The service was suspended in mid-September due to rising incidents of fire eruption on the buses. The company experts were then asked by the provincial government to conduct an audit of the buses and after a review.
According to the spokesperson of Trans Peshawar, the buses will be operational from 6am to 10pm. The vehicles will also travel on express routes.
A special route has been introduced from the Khyber Market to Hayatabad’s mall, he said, pointing out that from October 25, three direct routes from Hayatabad will become operational as well.
“Wearing masks has been declared mandatory for all passengers,” the spokesperson emphasized. “Special seats have been assigned for women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.”
Other passengers will not be allowed to use these seats. Male passengers have been warned against crowding the buses unnecessarily.
Why Was BRT Service Suspended?
The BRT service 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.
However, the service launched on August 13 amid criticism over the delay in its completion and the high cost of the flagship project of the PTI government.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had inaugurated the BRT bus service and regarded it as one of the flagship projects of the PTI government.
The track is 27 kilometres long and at least 128 buses will run on it.
