Javed Khan
PESHAWAR
While several buses developed faults since the launch of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, another bus caught fire with people on board near Gulbhar station on Friday, raising panic among the commuters.
A rescue effort was immediately started to vacate the bus with passengers on board.
So far, at least three BRT buses have caught fire, while one was seen tow-chained to a crane en route to a workshop for repair and maintenance.
The bus rapid transit system was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Aug 14 after multiple delays in the project.
At least 128 buses were brought to run on a 27-kilometre track with 30 stations across. According to an eyewitness, the latest incident occurred as the bus, en route to Chamkani, burst into flames on its roof and rearm part near the Gulbahar station.
As this was the third such incident, netizens have flooded social media with videos, photos of the bus on fire and criticized the provincial government for out-of-order BRT buses.
“Faults were feared since it was known that the buses were imported from China. Chinese technology is unreliable and it seems similar incidents will happen after these vehicles become old,” said a passenger who was inside the bus when it engulfed fire.
Some commuters said that they were afraid while travelling on the narrow zig-zag bridges in an 18-meter bus. At some points, such as Hayatabad, travel in a BRT bus is too scary, giving a feeling as if one is on a thrilling mission in some wonderland. I think the concerned authorities went for Chinese buses to make big bucks through hefty commissions and kickbacks,” said Ikramullah, who saw the bus on fire.
One of the social media users suggested that frequent incidents of buses catching fire needs to be probed. It should be investigated whether it was due to some technical fault in the engines or the buses as a whole were sub-standard. “Fix it before something tragic happens,” he said.
Speaking to daily Lead Pakistan a day before BRT’s launch, Kamran Khan Bangash, KP chief minister’s special aide on information and local government, had claimed that the government had finalized a comprehensive plan to halt the movement of rickshaws, wagons and Mazda buses on roads adjacent to the BRT corridor.
After a month to BRT’s inauguration, no such action has been taken yet.
Local residents demand that the government should not stop service of the traditional transport system, given that frequent incidents of faults in the Chinese buses occur.
