PTI leader mocks Centre, Punjab govt after BRT Peshawar gets recognition

The bus transit project secured its spot among the finalists of the Prize for Cities award


News Desk July 01, 2022
A long queue of commuters wait for their turn to hop onto a BRT bus ride. PHOTO: EXPRESS

A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader on Thursday felicitated Peshawar's bus rapid transit (BRT) for being named among the finalists of the Prize for Cities award, while mocking a 'lack' of such recognition for the metro bus service in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.

"Funny how it's Peshawar BRT gaining all the awards. Not Lahore, Pindi or Multan," Finance Minister K-P Taimur Khan Jhagra said on Twitter in a thinly veiled jibe at the Centre and the Punjab government.

Earlier today, the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) also took to Twitter to highlight the nomination, saying the selection is made for the projects that have made positive changes in the lives of the masses, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The provincial government added that the project had brought a significant change in terms of convenient commute in the lives of women, children, elderly and transgender citizens.

The forum selects the finalists for their "innovative approaches to responding to uncertainty, disruption and crisis show how to live and thrive in turbulent times".

The WRI describes the aforesaid prize as the "premier global award celebrating and spotlighting transformative urban change, saying it "seeks to inspire urban change-makers across the globe by elevating trailblazing initiatives and telling impactful stories of sustainable urban transformation."

In February, the BRT Peshawar was awarded the Gold Standard Service award for providing passenger-oriented, environment-friendly facilities to the public.

Among others, the Asian Development Bank had hailed ZuPeshawar – operator of the BRT system – on receiving the international award, saying Peshawar had become the first city in the subcontinent, third in Asia and 11th globally to receive the Gold Standard.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ