Peshawar: No BRT inauguration today as bus prototype stuck at Sust

PESHAWAR: Contrary to the plans of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, there will be no symbolic inauguration of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) today as the prototype bus being transported by road from China for the purpose remained stuck at the Sust border post in Gilgit-Baltistan due to the traders’ strike against the new Customs clearance policy.

The trade between Pakistan and China was suspended since April 10 due to a strike of traders against the imposition of the new policy, Web-Based One Customs (WeBOC) at the entry point of Sust border. Even then the provincial cabinet approved the shipment of the bus through the same border post incurring $35,000 additional amount for the inauguration ceremony.

Traders have reportedly refused to clear their consignments through newly-introduced WeBOC system at Sust dry port and presently about 40 trucks carrying goods to and from China are stranded at the dry port. The BRT bus is one of the shipments stranded at the port.

The officials of the Transport and Mass Transit Department (TMTD) have confirmed to The News that the much-awaited lone prototype bus won’t be arriving for what they called the “sham” inauguration of the “incomplete” Peshawar BRT project.

“As a quotation came to us that man proposes, God disposes, people can plan but only God determines how things will turn out,” one of the officials said while referring to the government plan to bring the bus by road to ensure BRT inauguration as per its schedule on May 20.

In fact, it was decided to organize a symbolic inauguration of the BRT on a portion of the project from Chamkani to Fidous Chowk on the G T Road on May 20, but even that is not going to happen now.

Pleading anonymity, the official said the provincial government through the TMTD has done all in its power to complete the project in six-month timeline and to bring at least a prototype of the 400 buses to inaugurate the project on May 20.

However, he said it yet another disappointment for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government that

despite payment of $35,000 by the TransPeshawar (BRT operating company) to get the prototype bus transported by road, it could not be cleared at the Sust border.

The official remarked it is unfortunate for the provincial government that due to the current strikes against the introduction of online customs payment system, WeBOC, and land acquisition by National Logistic Cell (NLC), the prototype bus is stranded at Sust.

It is worth mentioning that former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the TransPeshawar, Altaf Akbar Durrani, was removed on May 2 for his opposition to the plan to bring the bus by road and that too to inaugurate an incomplete project.

The question arises as to what was the urgency for overland shipping of the bus from China through a special carrier costing an additional $35,000 for the incomplete BRT infrastructure where the prototype was supposed to be parked as showpiece at the inauguration ceremony, the TMTD official said.

A trader, who requested not to be named due to his affiliation with the ruling PTI, said, “The shipment of prototype bus was still in danger at the Sust border as strikes may turn violent any time because the federal government was not taking any steps to resolve the issues with the traders.”

He said public money is going down the drain and the matter should be probed as to why the prototype was not shipped via sea which was the safest and cheapest mode of shipment of such consignments. He said those wasting public money without justification should be held responsible.

Secretary TMTD Kamran Rehman, when contacted through a text message about the new date for the inauguration as the bus is stuck at Sust, responded that his Department and the Company (TransPeshawar) have not been informed of any new date.