PESHAWAR: The World Resources Institute (WRI)’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities has shortlisted Zu Peshawar of TransPeshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) among the five finalists for the WRI Prize for Cities Award 2021-22.
The award recognizes projects which bring about a transformative change in the lives of citizens.
Peshawar, a rapidly growing city plagued by a chaotic transport system, adopted international practices to deliver a world-class mobility solution through restructuring the local bus industry, scrapping old vehicles, and building a state-of-the-art bus rapid transit system.
The KP Government has imported 220 buses from China for the BRT project, along with machinery that runs the system. TransPeshawar also imported 360 cycles for ‘Zu Bicycle’, a cycle sharing service of BRT from China.
The 27km bus corridor containes 30 stations, 59km of connecting routes, 220 diesel-electric buses, 360 bike-share bicycles, 120km of footpaths, and ITDP Gold Standard. At least 81% of city educational institutes, 80% of hospital beds, 75% of commercial hubs, and 75% of industrial areas are now accessible to public transport.
The system has significantly increased female ridership on public transport, opening up new education and professional opportunities for women through access to safe, quality mobility. –Agencies
