PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi inaugurated new hybrid buses, the pink bus service for women, solarisation of Chamkani depot and the newly-established Mall of Hayatabad depot as part of measures to expand and improve Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony at the Mall of Hayatabad depot, he said that he had promised pink buses for women across the province. He said that the buses were now on roads, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

He announced that women travelling on pink buses would be charged a fare 25pc lower than that applicable on other buses. Appreciating the women drivers of pink bus service, he said they were role models for other women.

A detailed briefing was given at the ceremony on the new hybrid buses, solarisation of Chamkani depot, establishment of the Mall of Hayatabad depot and key features of the projects.

The participants of the ceremony were informed that BRT service was providing daily transportation facilities to around 250,000 commuters and approximately 30pc of them were women.

The BRT system is also reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 30,000 tonnes annually. The continued expansion of BRT system is evidence of the success of the project.

With the addition of 52 new buses, the total BRT fleet had increased to 296 buses. The new buses would facilitate opening of additional routes and help to reduce passenger pressure on existing routes.

The pink bus service had also been introduced to address the specific transportation needs of women passengers. In the first phase, five pink buses would operate on selected routes during peak hours.

The number of pink buses and their routes would be gradually expanded. The procurement and construction process for 50 additional buses and a new depot, at a cost of Rs6.2 billion, is also under way.

Another 50 buses were also included in the current Annual Development Programme that would cost Rs5 billion. An amount of Rs1.5 billion was additionally allocated for complete solarisation of the BRT system.

Upon completion, the full solarisation of the BRT project would further reduce electricity costs.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026