After many delays, Prime Minister Imran Khan will finally inaugurate the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project today (Thursday).
Built at the cost of around Rs70 billion, the track of BRT Peshawar is 27 km long on which 220 air-conditioned buses will run. There are two routes of seven and thirty-one stops for the convenience of the public and the initial fare of the bus is only Rs10.
The BRT route runs from Chamkani to Karkhano Market. Buses will run on the track seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For the convenience of the public, two routes have been introduced on the same track. A route from Chamkani to Karkhano Market consists of seven stops and will be completed in 45 minutes.
There are 31 stations on the second route and the journey will take one hour. The fare for the first five kilometers has been fixed at Rs10, the fare will increase by Rs5 after every five kilometers.
BRT Peshawar also has a cycling track that sets it apart from other metro services. In the first phase, a cycling facility has been provided from the University of Peshawar to Hayatabad.
Access is provided by seven feeder routes of total 62 kilometers with 146 stops. The platforms have automatic doors, escalators, elevators, security cameras, and Wi-Fi. The front of the bus is reserved for women, and seats are reserved for special people.
You will need to get a "ZU Card" to travel on BRT buses. ZU Card can be obtained from the ticket office of each BRT station or through the ticket vending machine.
Citizens can get cards for payment of Rs150, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is already distributing 100,000 cards for free. One person can get only one card.
The card must have a balance of at least Rs50 to travel by bus. The card can be recharged through cash, credit or debit card, and online mobile banking.
The free ZU mobile app can also be downloaded from Google Play Store or Apple Store which provides all the details of the bus service.