Peshawar
TransPeshawar shared its annual performance report for the year 2022. This year, this one-of-its-kind, 3rd Generation BRT system witnessed significant increase in ridership, usage and popularity.
The system witnessed a ridership of about 74 million, which is 45% 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 30% increase in female ridership.
The number of daily passengers has hit a peak figure of 270,000 of which about 70,000 are women. About 400,000 Zu Cards were issued this year, which brings the total number of issued cards to 1.4 million.
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. In addition to increasing the number of buses, new routes are being operationalized from time to time.
A new express route ER 10, from Hospital Chowk to Kohat Adda was also operationalized in the first half of this year, while 5 new routes have been approved and work has commenced on operationalizing these routes in the beginning of 2023.
For better facilitation of passengers, Zu Peshawar 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 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 300% increase as compared to the 591 registrations in 2021.
Zu Bicycle have been used for more than 140,000 trip in 2022, which is about 4 times more than the 27,000 trips last year.
As the system gained acceptance and recognition among the residents of Peshawar, the number of helpline calls significantly decreased. The helpline at Zu Peshawar, received and resolved about 3000 calls for information and complaints during 2022, which is a significant decrease from 2021 where the figure was close to 10,000. In addition, about 3000 requests for information and complaints were resolved through TransPeshawar’s social media platforms.
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.
Zu Peshawar is the first metro system in the Country which is moving towards generating non-fare revenues. In 2022, advertising contracts worth Rs. 350 million have been signed.
TransPeshawar has also been actively involved in the beautification of the City. Beautification works have been completed at Tehkal and Phase 3, Hayatabad. In addition, tuck shops were set up at 21 stations and an ATM has been set up and made operational at the University of Peshawar and ,Mall of Hayatabad Station.
Last but not the least, vulnerable segment of the society such as special persons, transgenders and women were facilitated in the system and specialized trainings were arranged for the staff to accommodate them in accordance with their needs. This initiative has resulted increase in their ridership.
