The much-hyped Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) Peshawar – the mass transit system for the provincial capital – has surely become a Chinese puzzle as the Chinese engineers are still unable to figure out what’s wrong with the buses, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.
As the experts have failed so far to pinpoint the cause leading to the multiple fire incidents, the service is now suspended for the sixth consecutive day.
In this connection, a TransPeshawar – the government-owned company that runs these buses – spokesperson said all the buses were being checked and the service would be reopened only after clearing all the technical aspects.
Earlier, the BRT Peshawar service was service suspended last week after another vehicle caught fire – in a series of incidents which has raised questions about the quality and maintenance of the fleet.
Mohammad Umar Khan, the TransPeshawar spokesperson, had said that the fire erupted at the back of a BRT bus on the Hayatabad route. All passengers were safely evacuated, he said.
It was the fourth such incident in less than a month. The first bust caught fire on August 26 at Hayatabad station, the second on September 3 at University Road and the third n September 11 at Chamkani.
The project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 14 after multiple delays. He had called it “the highest-level metro project of the country”. At least 128 buses ply a 27-kilometre track with 30 stations in Peshawar.
TransPeshawar had initially in a statement termed the fire “mere spark, which was immediately put out”.
However, immediately afterwards the company issued another statement announcing the suspension of the bus service for inspection.
Azmat Ali Shah reported this news for 24NewsHD TV.