PESHAWAR: In an effort to offset the yearly loss of billions of rupees, the suggestion to increase the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Peshawar fare is being considered, News reported on Monday, citing sources.
Government sources claim that BRT Peshawar loses more than Rs. 6 billion a year; as a result, a number of solutions, including raising the BRT fare, are being considered to reduce the deficit.
According to the sources, the provincial finance department has received a proposal from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority to raise the fare. They claimed that an extra Rs. 5 per passenger will bring in an additional Rs. 670 million in income. On the other hand, raising the price by Rs 10 might bring in an extra Rs1.36 billion in revenue.
They said that the subsidy is increased year even though the number of BRT users is increasing. The government treasury is providing a subsidy of Rs50 to each passenger, as they argued that although a passenger pays a fee of Rs28, the actual cost is Rs80.
According to the sources, BRT spends around Rs 200 million a month on diesel and power. To prevent losses for the BRT, the finance department has asked the appropriate authorities for additional options.
