BRT ridership increased 45pc compared with previous year
PESHAWAR
With a 45 percent increase in ridership, a record 74 million people used the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Peshawar service in 2022, said an annual report issued by the authority here on Thursday.
According to the annual performance report for the year 2022 BRT system witnessed a significant increase in ridership, usage and popularity.
The system witnessed a ridership of about 74 million, which is 45pc higher than the 51 million ridership figures of 2021.
Zu Peshawar has hit a record total ridership of 130 million, since its inception in August 2020. There has also been a 30pc increase in female ridership.
The number of daily passengers has hit a peak figure of 270,000 of which about 70,000 are women while about 400,000 Zu Cards were issued this year, which brings the total number of issued cards to 1.4 million.
The annual report stated that due to the increasing popularity and demand, the system is constantly expanding.
Sixty-two new buses arrived in Pakistan in the last quarter of 2022, which will soon be added to the existing fleet of 158 buses.
For better facilitation of passengers, Zu Peshawar has also integrated with Google maps this year, allowing passengers to easily locate their nearest Zu Stations and giving them an option to plan their journey with Zu in a better way.
Passengers can choose the public transport option on Google Maps to find the shortest and quickest route to commute from one point to another.
The mobile app of Zu Peshawar also went through a few upgrades this year, where passengers can now recharge the Zu mobile app through Omni Shop, view their travel and recharge history and view bus schedules. The ZU card balance information and recharge option has also been added to Zu Mobile App which was highly appreciated by the public.
As Zu Peshawar gained popularity among the residents of Peshawar, the system was also acknowledged and appreciated on several global platforms. Zu Peshawar bagged four international awards this year which include the Gold Standard BRT System Award, an honorable mention in Sustainable Transport Award, finalist for the World Resources Institute’s Prize for Cities award and Best Smart Ticketing Program Award. The Peshawar BRT System was also presented as a model bus rapid transit system on various international platforms including the Asia and Pacific Transport Forum 2022, Paratransit in Asia Webinar and the Mobilize Virtual Webinar.
Apart from Zu Bus Service, Zu Bicycle Sharing System has also gained immense popularity this year. The bicycle system witnessed more than 2400 registrations this year, witnessing a 300pc increase as compared to the 591 registrations in 2021.
Zu Bicycles used for more than 140,000 trips in 2022, which is about 4 times more than the 27,000 trips last year.
With tireless efforts to make Peshawar pollution-free TransPeshawar has also successfully executed its Bus Industry Restructuring Program (BIRP) and has scrapped more than 500 old buses and wagons. The process was completed with transparency and consent of all stakeholders.
