Peshawar (Agencies): The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Peshawar is facing significant challenges due to the inept, unprofessional, and untrained manpower, leading commuters, particularly government employees, to seek alternative transportation options.
The security personnel, employed by Zu Security, a subsidiary of the Urban Mobility Authority, are poorly trained in the use of security equipment such as walk-through gates and frisk machines. This has resulted in frequent harsh exchanges and arguments with commuters, who object to manual body searches despite the presence of advanced security equipment.
Aslam, an employee of a public sector organization, expressed his dissatisfaction with the treatment at BRT stations, noting that security staff often ignore standard security procedures followed globally. Despite filing complaints, the management has failed to address these issues, further frustrating commuters.
The financial crisis exacerbates the situation, with the BRT service incurring a daily loss of Rs 9 million and an annual deficit of Rs 3.38 billion. The provincial government has imposed a monopoly on public transport routes, banning route permits for other vehicles and setting a higher fare for BRT compared to other metro bus services in Pakistan.
The BRT project, once touted as a solution to Peshawar’s traffic woes, is now struggling to sustain itself financially and operationally. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs 168.5 billion in the project, highlighting issues of corruption and financial mismanagement.
The provincial government and BRT management must address these issues to restore commuter confidence and ensure the project’s viability.