The annual loss of BRT exceeded 6 billion rupees

The annual deficit of BRT has exceeded 6 billion rupees. KP Urban Mobility Authority has proposed an increase in fares, under which an additional revenue of Rs. 1 billion 36 crore will be obtained.

On the other hand, Finance Advisor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muzamil Aslam says that increasing the fare of BRT is inevitable. CEO Trans Peshawar says that electricity and diesel prices have doubled in two years, but fares have not been increased, which is causing losses.

The annual deficit of BRT has exceeded 6 billion rupees. To control the deficit, the government has started considering other options including increasing the BRT fare.

According to official sources, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority has proposed an increase in the rent to the Finance Department. According to which, by increasing the rent by Rs. 5, 67 crores and by increasing the rent by Rs. 10 crores, an additional revenue of Rs. 1.36 billion will be obtained. Despite the increase in BRT ridership, the subsidy is increasing every year.

Official sources say that every passenger is being given a subsidy of Rs 50 from the government treasury, a fare of Rs 28 is being collected from a passenger while the cost is Rs 80. The monthly cost of electricity and diesel on BRT is more than Rs 20 crore. The Finance Department has sought further proposals from the Transport Department and Trans Peshawar to bring BRT out of deficit.

According to the sources, the caretaker government was suggested to increase the BRT fare, but the caretaker government left the decision to increase the fare to the elected government.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Advisor Muzamil Aslam said in a conversation with Geo News that it is inevitable to increase the fare of BRT. It has asked for a proposal to increase the fare of BRT as per the rate of inflation while it has directed Trans Peshawar to reduce the cost of BRT, to install solar system in BRT and contractors to reduce the cost. It has also been directed to revise the contracts.

He said that there is an effort to reduce the loss of the government and to put the burden on the people to a minimum.

CEO Trans Peshawar Tariq Usman told Geonews that the loss of BRT has increased due to not increasing fares. Electricity and diesel prices have doubled in two years, but fares have not been hiked.