New BRT Buses Left in the Open Due to Delays in Parking Depot Construction
The first batch of BRT buses, which arrived in Peshawar on Monday, is now parked in the open in Hyatabad.
The three depots which will house the buses have not yet been completed. The remaining 200 buses will be transported from China to Peshawar soon and the unavailability of covered parking facility for the vehicles is a concern.
With consistent rains in the past days and more expected in the near future, the hi-tech hybrid buses may well be prone to damage in severe weather conditions.
155 of these buses will be 12 meters long, having a capacity of 75 passengers, whereas the remaining 65 will have a length of 18 meters. These environment-friendly buses run on both diesel and electricity, and will help reduce 31,000 tons of CO2 emissions from Peshawar, as per a conservative estimate by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Equipped with Universal Access System (UAS), AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) facility and Wi-Fi, the buses would ensure inclusion of all citizens.
Talking about the depots, Nauman Manzoor, Director Media TransPeshawar told a local newspaper that the buses will stay in Hyatabad until the construction of depots is completed.
Worldwide these buses are made strong enough to fight tough weather and environmental conditions. Many bus depots provide secured gates, but they may not have roofs.
It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the vehicles’ security
©The News