The World Resources Institute Prize for Cities has nominated Peshawar’s BRT transportation system.
The World Resources Institute described the situation of the city’s transportation before to BRT, noting that the city of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had no organised public transportation system for decades due to a variety of factors.
“The city was in a bad equilibrium. For many people, the problems accessing transportation meant that it was a daily struggle to access jobs, education and healthcare. Women and transgender people experienced harassment and rude behavior on buses, and there was limited to no accessibility for wheelchair users. The situation was also challenging for bus operators, who were stuck working long shifts at little or no profit, no health insurance, often in debt to bus owners and subject to wanton police fines.” WRI said.
Yet more global recognition for the Peshawar BRT; shortlisted for the World Resources Institute Prize for Cities.
Beyond a doubt, 10 years of Imran Khan led govt has transformed KP for the better. https://t.co/pfwKjCapTw— Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra (@Jhagra) January 21, 2023
WRI claims that more women and people with disabilities now commute securely every day thanks to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which provides frequent cross-city bus services to an average of 250,000 passengers daily.
According to WRI, BRT developed a system that is inclusive and accessible for the most vulnerable groups, including transgender persons, women, and people with impairments. Numerous gender-sensitive design elements are included throughout the system, including reserved seating, gender-specific bus entrances and ticket booths, better-lit stations and walkways, and closed-circuit television monitors in both its stations and buses.
The system is powered by diesel-hybrid buses, a design that was thoroughly thought through and selected based on the state of technological development at the time and the electrical grid capacity of the city. Buses from Zu Peshawar emit far fewer pollutants and are more effective than the city’s more traditional modes of transportation. There are plans to transition to totally electric buses as capacity increases.
The system has introduced new features since it started running, such as an integrated bike-sharing scheme. Utilizing the system’s advertising capabilities, initiatives for breast cancer awareness, food and nutrition campaigns, and polio immunisation have all been promoted. Construction of new integrated business districts and plans to expand the system with a central corridor and an off-corridor route encompassing a nearly 50-kilometer radius have already started.