Peshawar to Debut Special 'Chainless Bike' Sharing System...

[desan]

Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will be introducing a unique Bicycle sharing facility for the commuters, incorporated in the mass transit system upon completion.

TransPeshawar – the company behind BRT’s management asserted that the unique feature will distinguish it from other BRT systems in the country while providing the public with a cheap and healthier alternative to commute.

The company is constructing a dedicated bicycle-lane, along with the whole 28 km corridor, and has initial plans to purchase 360 contemporary bikes for the purpose.

To make the process convenient, Peshawar BRT will be providing an NFC enabled card to pay for the bus and bicycle services simultaneously while the users will also have an option to rent bicycles using a mobile app.

TransPeshawar is going to get modern design bicycles for the users as the company said in a statement, the bicycles will have peculiarities like;

• Adjustable seat posts
• Automatic LED Light and Reflectors
• GPS sensors
• Special safety measures to enclose most of the components

It is also reported that the bicycles will not be having traditional metal chains and sprocket sets but the fiber rope and pulley system to ensure the maximum safety and durability.

]

To encourage good behavior, the company has decided to track the individual usage and complementing it with a reward system. Three trucks will also be stationed throughout the scheme to reshuffle the cycles according to the demand of every station.

Although Peshawar BRT is going to be the first of its kind system in Pakistan having incorporated bicycles, many countries are successfully using bicycles for daily commuting and have dedicated lanes for the purpose such as China and Holland.

This initiative will not only ensure a less polluted environment but also provide the users with cardio exercise, necessary for a healthier life as most of the working professionals find no time to exercise due to the hectic and busy routine.

https://www.morenews.pk/peshawar-brt-to-debut-with-modern-bicycle-sharing-system/

 

[desan]

 

[Sohail Shuja]

While the project of BRT has been termed a classic failure, isn't it time for us to think of ways and means to reduce our spending on projects like these which are not going to generate any revenue for the Govt, but rather operate out of Govt's subsidies?

 

[ajoba]

While the project of BRT has been termed a classic failure, isn't it time for us to think of ways and means to reduce our spending on projects like these which are not going to generate any revenue for the Govt, but rather operate out of Govt's subsidies?

Not sure who termed BRT a classic failure. This project will not require any subsidy to operate for its life cycle. If I were in KPK government I would spend this money to setup a run of river electric power generating facility. We could have generated 500 to 1000MW cheap and green energy. Enough for a whole city like Peshawar.

 

[Eyeaan]

What was wrong with the belt chain and what's the benefit of this fiber belt except for some added problems? Don't get it!

 

[Eyeaan]

Not sure who termed BRT a classic failure. This project will not require any subsidy to operate for its life cycle. If I were in KPK government I would spend this money to setup a run of river electric power generating facility. We could have generated 500 to 1000MW cheap and green energy. Enough for a whole city like Peshawar.

But I don't get -- on what river are you to setup a run of river electric power generating facility for Peshawar City. Kabul perhaps not!

If we are to make a suggestions, KP should start a decades long plan to shift a chunk of population along terbela lake with new cities and financial incentives.

You are right about BRT. It isn't a failure and if it succeeded financially as planned it would be an example for other cities. They may plan highrise communities along the route for generating funds and to increase and streamline traffic for their facilities.

 

[Sohail Shuja]

Not sure who termed BRT a classic failure. This project will not require any subsidy to operate for its life cycle. If I were in KPK government I would spend this money to setup a run of river electric power generating facility. We could have generated 500 to 1000MW cheap and green energy. Enough for a whole city like Peshawar.

A project is termed as a failure when it has a budget bust of more than 10% of initial cost (for construction projects) and 20% of schedule delay, plus adding insult to the injuries, if the stakeholders are also annoyed by it (see Peshawar's current situation and the problems which the normal traffic has to face due to its construction, people are really not happy with it). Another major thing is if the project fails to meet its objectives initially defined in its feasibility. Peshawar BRT just has the right mix of every aforementioned ingredients to term it a classic failure.
Secondly, there is a witty juggling by Government to play with words and mar the real thing. Trans Peshawar on its website describes that "There will be no subsidy on operations of BRT", however, while referring to the Fares, it says:

There will be equitable policy on Fares by balancing the affordability of passengers and not to burden the tax payers excessively by high subsidies

Source:http://transpeshawar.pk/faq/#1499974517819-022efc1c-fda6

This means that there will be a subsidy on the fares, which is incurred as a public spending rather than an institutional spending. Last, but not the least, I agree that this money either should be spent on the projects which are more thoughtful for the needs of Pakistan and not the political parties of Pakistan (who does not know that we are in power crisis and facing water shortage problems and this BRT proect has political connotations between PML(N) and PTI). BRT is not a need, it is a luxury, considering the current economic conditions of Pakistan. I agree that we should think sensibly and avoid blind following.

 

[Sohail Shuja]

But I don't get -- on what river are you to setup a run of river electric power generating facility for Peshawar City. Kabul perhaps not!

If we are to make a suggestions, KP should start a decades long plan to shift a chunk of population along terbela lake with new cities and financial incentives.

You are right about BRT. It isn't a failure and if it succeeded financially as planned it would be an example for other cities. They may plan highrise communities along the route for generating funds and to increase and streamline traffic for their facilities.

Well, actually the same theme was there in Greece, after they built huge infrastructures for the Olympics. (Reference: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ympics-leave-mixed-legacy-10-years-later.html)

Projects like these do not sustain if the macroeconomic outlook of the country does not remain stable. In fact, you might have seen the recent trend of the stock market. The flight of capital in a drowning economy, bridled by IMF's loans (which focuses its return by increasing taxes and destroying the GDP growth, rather than otherwise). People try to invest in things which are of need, not wants/luxuries.

 

[ajoba]

Well, actually the same theme was there in Greece, after they built huge infrastructures for the Olympics. (Reference: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ympics-leave-mixed-legacy-10-years-later.html)

Projects like these do not sustain if the macroeconomic outlook of the country does not remain stable. In fact, you might have seen the recent trend of the stock market. The flight of capital in a drowning economy, bridled by IMF's loans (which focuses its return by increasing taxes and destroying the GDP growth, rather than otherwise). People try to invest in things which are of need, not wants/luxuries.

Well I don't agree. People would be ok once its complete. Stock market reacts to local and international events not just Pakistan decision to go to IMF. Shangai stock market plunged same day also most of Asian's stock markets remained negative. I was looking at PSX index for last two days and it has recovered most of its Monday's loses. Still stock market is not any indicator of economy. Pakistan's real issue is budget and trade deficit. Things will be on track once these deficits come down. Specially once government will reduce import/export disparity in $ terms.

 

[ajoba]

A project is termed as a failure when it has a budget bust of more than 10% of initial cost (for construction projects) and 20% of schedule delay, plus adding insult to the injuries, if the stakeholders are also annoyed by it (see Peshawar's current situation and the problems which the normal traffic has to face due to its construction, people are really not happy with it). Another major thing is if the project fails to meet its objectives initially defined in its feasibility. Peshawar BRT just has the right mix of every aforementioned ingredients to term it a classic failure.
Secondly, there is a witty juggling by Government to play with words and mar the real thing. Trans Peshawar on its website describes that "There will be no subsidy on operations of BRT", however, while referring to the Fares, it says:


Source:http://transpeshawar.pk/faq/#1499974517819-022efc1c-fda6

This means that there will be a subsidy on the fares, which is incurred as a public spending rather than an institutional spending. Last, but not the least, I agree that this money either should be spent on the projects which are more thoughtful for the needs of Pakistan and not the political parties of Pakistan (who does not know that we are in power crisis and facing water shortage problems and this BRT proect has political connotations between PML(N) and PTI). BRT is not a need, it is a luxury, considering the current economic conditions of Pakistan. I agree that we should think sensibly and avoid blind following.

Well, I don't agree here either. Project is a failure only when it fails to meet its object or the cost of the project is higher than the benefits. Over running initial budgets estimates is failure at part of the planners. Also, before a project starts cost and schedules are just estimates. Over running both of these is very common in any country (Pakistan is no exception). As I said, this project is important however, same money could have been used on something better e.g power generation or technical university/education.

 

[Eyeaan]

Well, actually the same theme was there in Greece, after they built huge infrastructures for the Olympics. (Reference: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ympics-leave-mixed-legacy-10-years-later.html)

Projects like these do not sustain if the macroeconomic outlook of the country does not remain stable. In fact, you might have seen the recent trend of the stock market. The flight of capital in a drowning economy, bridled by IMF's loans (which focuses its return by increasing taxes and destroying the GDP growth, rather than otherwise). People try to invest in things which are of need, not wants/luxuries.

Partially I agree that at tough times, it really gets tough and often the projection and hopes fail! and the managers go for easy path to chew on the public funds than to reform and cut down. I might have argued for saving and investing for the bad times, but perhaps managers aren't to be trusted; In any case Keynesian arguments are out of fashion.

However, to call this project an utter failure seems not right but rather a rhetoric to make an unrelated point.
Theoretically I'm not against reasonable subsidies for the public transport sector as long as the the direct beneficiary i.e. the city, pays for it. There is enough economic justification for this policy, times are tough or not. One may, perhaps rightly, argue that the public infrastructure is in itself that establishes the long term economic stability. Even in purely economical sense it is not some luxury but a real investment if we were to count beyond the daily budget. Subsidies on the public transport are justified because they earn more (directly or indirectly) to the exchequer especially in terms of the property taxes.- the city collects the fair property taxes on this investment or not that is an unrelated issue to this debate.. You must be aware of a good number of other economic benefits like worker efficiency or fuel saving etc.
Not just in greece, similar problems arose in related projects in Montreal or for an old example of Baltimore fair investment; there were bad times however over the decades it worked well. If, according to you, we are get into an economic crises, that projection is not enough of an argument to oppose the project. The objections over the PMLN project focused on the funding model and financial lapses and the extent of solutions to the public transport rather than on project per se.
As far as luxury is concerned in terms of public appeasement, Let's be a bit fair; if we are to spent a chunk of foreign exchange on the luxury cars for the upper class, why not to loosen the pocket for the working class.
There is one valid argument to oppose the public transport investment; that is it lowers the price of transportation, resulting in larger travel and mobility to the inner cities, that results in even more bloated cities and, in result the public utilities are stressed and often the size of the city lead to unsolvable problems, regardless of the size of investment. investment Further it hinders the expansion and relative property worth of adjacent small cities. One may use that argument in case of Karachi where a transport system ought to be designed not to facilitate long distance travel into the city but for segmentation and thinning out the current city.
It seemed your objections to the public transport sector were in principle however you didnot give any alternative but to leave it to the private sector!!! (unfortunately that is another economical argument to invest/subsidies in public transport because the when the times are tough, the response of the private sector is even more harmful to the recovery.)
For your outlook of Pak economics, I personally have a positive out look. The current problems of BOP would continue only for few year and soon we'll be out of water - that's an altogether different topic.

 

[kakajee]

Isnt it possible to order the bikes from local manufacturers in Pakistan so to revive the industry?

I mean come one, do we even have to import the bikes from China also instead of using or making our own?

 

[arafay]

people will steal bikes and after one week no bike will remain.

 

[ajoba]

But I don't get -- on what river are you to setup a run of river electric power generating facility for Peshawar City. Kabul perhaps not!

If we are to make a suggestions, KP should start a decades long plan to shift a chunk of population along terbela lake with new cities and financial incentives.

You are right about BRT. It isn't a failure and if it succeeded financially as planned it would be an example for other cities. They may plan highrise communities along the route for generating funds and to increase and streamline traffic for their facilities.

You didn't read my comments properly. What I said was, enough electricity could have been produced for a city like Peshawar. There are plenty of rivers in KPK for such projects.

 

[desan]

What was wrong with the belt chain and what's the benefit of this fiber belt except for some added problems? Don't get it!

Supposedly, a more efficient bike and at less risk for breaking the chain while biking...

Also, possibly more people may use it due to it's novelty factory.

 

[asif.khan1975]

Great idea

 

[desan]

people will steal bikes and after one week no bike will remain.

Bike share programs have been successfully implemented in crime ridden areas of the US.

People rent these bikes through their apps and are being tracked through GPS.

Dunno if KP will be using the same technology in tracking these bikes.

 

[AntiGossip]

I am going to Peshawar just to ride slow bicycles on clean roads in my next trip !!!

 

[Zamaray Khan]

It can be a very good step. All the developed countries run these of project successfully but this kind of project needs intelligent people behind it and lets hope kpk govt has competent people to run this project.

 

[desan]

Isnt it possible to order the bikes from local manufacturers in Pakistan so to revive the industry?

I mean come one, do we even have to import the bikes from China also instead of using or making our own?

Valid point...

However, these kinds of projects are usually "turn key" operations as the companies that are providing bikes are also providing the technology for payment system and to ensure that they are not stolen through GPS and technical know how.