Bus Rapid Transit and good governance

Both in the private and public sectors, the importance of good governance cannot be overemphasised. Various international organisations, including the UN and the World Bank, have defined good governance with attributes like rule of law, transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness. The PTI leadership, while criticising the mega projects of the PML-N government at federal and Punjab levels in its public discourse, has projected itself as a party believing in good governance. The hurriedly-launched Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRTP) by the K-P government has certainly not done any service to the party in this regard. Recently the chief executive officer of Trans Peshawar which was responsible for the metro bus project was unceremoniously removed for the alleged failure to procure the fleet of buses for the transit system and its delivery during the PTI government’s tenure. The sacking of the chief executive of the project and subsequent resignations of the project leaders have now put its fruition in question.

Unfortunately, problems in the project were evident from the outset. The overzealous PTI leadership wanted to present the project as an icon of change to counter its arch political rival. In doing so, it ignored the fact that buses could only be operated once the construction of necessary flyovers, underpasses and culverts is completed. Even the engineers of the Peshawar Development Authority supervising the projects have given the same timeline as stated by the former CEO of the company constructing the physical infrastructure. Engineering principles cannot accommodate political whims as girders and concrete cementing follow their own timescales.

At the policy level there seems to be confusion as an efficient public transport system has been confused with the traffic rush and regular jams on the main arteries of Peshawar, GT Road, Khyber Road, Sunheri Masjid Road and Jamrud Road. The fact is that the existing GT Road and University Road are quite wide enough with three lanes on both sides. The ring road is expected to take the load of heavy wheels trawlers up to Karkhano and upwards. The roads inside London City are narrower than ours but with better enforcement of law as even double deckers ply those roads. With this in mind we raised traffic warden system with a huge cost in order to streamline traffic and put an end to frequent traffic jams. What was needed was better enforcement of traffic laws and putting the wardens system to the optimum level. With further narrowing the University Road without the provision for parking space, the traffic mess is likely to aggravate with the BRTP.

Peshawar just needed better buses and not such costly civil structures at the cost of other road users. In the past Government Transport Service, double deckers would ply from Hashtnagri to the University of Peshawar. To improve traffic flow work on the ring road and Northern Bypass projects should have been expedited. Similarly, another parallel road from Cantonment graveyard near Warsak Road and Bihari Colony towards Tehkal, Palosi and Regi would have solved the traffic flow problem. These road projects had been approved by the previous government but are still rusting in the official files. This way billions of rupees could have been saved and spent on much more needed areas. Another major concern aired by the critics of the BRT project is that the property owners who have suffered losses worth millions need to be compensated.

Elevated roads may solve the problem if made for the general traffic. The present civil structure being built now is however meant only for 200 buses and not for the general traffic. The project in its own right is a poor show of public policy planning and management and reflects adversely on overall governance style in the K-P province as well. Billions previously spent on the beautification of Peshawar have been wasted now at the altar of BRTP. This calls for accountability of the city planners.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2018.

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