Are Peshawar BRT Buses being sold only for Rs. 288???
Peshawar BRT is up for sale, and you won’t believe how cheap it is! The government is selling off the buses for Rs. 288 and Rs. 144, which were initially bought for Rs. 4.4 crore per bus.
A copy of the contract started circulating on the internet, which showed the agreement between the government and a private company. The agreement stated that the buses which were actually bought by the government for Rs. 4.4 crore per bus will now be sold back to the private company for a few dimes.
Such low prices have driven the netizens crazy, and people are trying to figure out the reason behind it. It seems ridiculous to the public to sell such well-maintained BRT buses for pennies on the dollar. The real reason behind this whole agreement is depreciation.
Peshawar BRT Agreement
Let’s take a look at the original Peshawar BRT agreement that took place 12 years ago.
According to this agreement, all the buses bought by the government will be returned to the private company at the completion of the 12-year term. The agreed-upon price at the time was Rs. 288 for an 18-meter long bus and Rs 144 for a 12-meter long bus.
Currently, BRT Peshawar has 158 buses which will be sold to Daewoo for a total of Rs. 32,000 after the completion of 12 years.
The Real Reason
The spokesperson of Trans Peshawar in Peshawar, Sadaf Kamil, has said that this is a standard procedure that is followed around the world. After their term is complete, all the buses are handed over to the company by the government.
This is to ensure the safety of the public as these buses are not suitable to be driven after 12 years. The contract usually states that the bing company will pay per kilometer and will also pay for the repair and maintenance of these buses.
She also said that all metro buses in Pakistan had been sold by private companies to the government under similar agreements.
Do you think returning these buses at such a low price is justified? Share your thoughts in the comments below.