Operator threatens to suspend Peshawar BRT bus service

PESHAWAR: Trans Peshawar, a company overseeing the Peshawar Metro Bus Service, has found itself in dire financial straits, and in a bid to keep the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) service operational, the company has urgently sought Rs1 billion from the provincial government.

On the other hand, the BRT service operator, DAEWOO Pakistan Express Bus Service, has issued a stark warning to suspend the service in if it did not receive the outstanding Rs660 million from (Trans Peshawar) within the next two days.

According to sources, Trans Peshawar is facing severe financial difficulties due to the lack of funds to run the BRT service.

According to the sources, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transport department has sent a letter to the provincial finance secretary, drawing attention to the financial difficulties facing Trans Peshawar and to keep the BRT service operational.

In the letter, it was said that the operator of the BRT service has been continually pressuring Trans Peshawar for the past several months to clear outstanding payments.

The letter from the KP transport department called for the immediate release of Rs1 billion to Trans Peshawar to ensure the continuity of the BRT service.

On the other hand, according to the sources, DAEWOO Pakistan Express Bus Service’s management has sent a reminder to Trans Peshawar, stating that they have not received payments for several months.

The letter has warned that if the outstanding Rs660 million were not paid within the next two days, they will be forced to suspend the BRT service.

Sources indicated that the subsidy for the BRT service has been steadily increasing, putting additional pressure on the provincial exchequer.

The initial subsidy for the BRT service was Rs1.6 billion, but it has now surged to Rs4.9 billion.

It was further disclosed that if timely payments were not made by the provincial government to Trans Peshawar, there is a looming threat of the BRT being suspended.