Peshawar’s dream project

Residents of Punjab have often boasted about their Metro system. Now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is set to catch up. The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) recently approved loan of $335 million for Peshawar’s first Bus Rapid Transit system sounds like an exciting venture, especially for a city that works to keep a balance between its urban and rural lifestyles. Although the loan covers only a portion of the total $587 million cost, the K-P government already has other loans in the works to ensure that the project seeks completion. On that note, it will be delightful to see an integrated transit system in Peshawar, should the work be completed on time, without setbacks that we often see with government projects going on hold for months or years on end.

A noteworthy benefit of the project will be its overall benefit to women, for whom existing facilities are shambolic. It is laudable that ten per cent of the 4,000 newly created jobs will be reserved for women. This is at least a starting point and the quota could be increased over time to make it work for women’s development in the province. Furthermore, the system’s infrastructure itself makes special consideration for women acknowledging they are often ignored. Safety features will include proper monitoring, lighting, and harassment procedures. Secondly, a major breakthrough in planning will be the facilities for disabled persons, which should be a requirement in every public space.

The list of benefits of the project is long. In the polemical topic of climate change, a green vehicles policy is commendable because it will serve to preserve the beauty of the province. As the project begins, the government has a responsibility to ensure local residents are relocated and not simply displaced. The undertaking should be achieved in a systematic way. The prospect of having one umbrella transportation authority is enticing for its efficiency potential – a rare feature in our neck of the woods.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2017.

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