KP govt to start repaying BRT loan from 2023

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly has been informed that the provincial government borrowed Rs53, 320 million for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, which the provincial government will start repaying from 2023.

According to the amended PC-1, a total of $8.384 million has been borrowed from Asia Development Bank (ADB) while the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has provided 75 million euros for one of KP's major public transport projects.

KP Government Spokesperson, Kamran Khan Bangash, providing details of the BRT loans in response to the question raised by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senior member, Inayatullah Khan, said that the project is not under the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) but under the supervision of provincial transport department.

He added that the project was started with the aim to improve the city’s decades’ old public transport and has successfully being launched. "Besides the main route, five out of seven feeder routs have also been made functional," he added.

However, the JI lawmaker claimed that the project was started in hurry and was not discussed in provincial cabinet. "The Cabinet was given a presentation on the BRT after construction activities were launched," he said.

The CM's adviser said that there is scope of improvement in the system; however, the transport system of Peshawar faces a major challenge in the form of encroachments in the inner city.

He claimed that the BRT system will be helpful in eliminating encroachments on the congested Kohat Road, Charsadda Road, Hayatabad Road and Hayatabad.

"Only PTI government has carried out such a mega transport project in Peshawar. And in the next two year, Rs100 billion will be spend on the development of the city itself," he concluded.