DefinePK

Abstract

The city of Peshawar needed an organized public transportation system for decades. The provincial government has recently finished mega project of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and City Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA). The project started in 2017 and could not meet the completion deadlines, and the delay had economic and social implications. This research presented the public transport challenges in Peshawar, the characteristics of the BRT project, an analysis of the delayed completion, and its reasons and effects. In addition to the literature review, the researchers collected first-hand data through a survey from three types of respondents. In the interviews, officials and experts commented on the reasons behind the delayed completion, and traders and the public expressed how it impacted their lives and businesses. The research found that administrative shortfalls, political fluctuations, and inappropriate technical planning are the reasons behind delays. Consequently, the public suffered from traffic congestion, time wastage, health issues, and effects on their social and economic life.