Town planners and city managers have labeled the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for Faisalabad as “unworkable” and impractical. They argue that the plan does not meet the essential requirements for integrating the population, ensuring accessibility, achieving high ridership, maintaining cost-effectiveness, and fitting into the city’s urban mobility culture.
Despite these concerns, the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) is pushing ahead with its plans for a metro bus system, with an estimated cost of around Rs70 billion. Although the Punjab government has approved this project, experts believe it does not suit Faisalabad’s current infrastructure and transportation needs.
Nadeem Khurshid, a town planner from the private sector, has cautioned against launching such a large-scale transit system without first establishing a foundational feeder network or a strong public transportation system. He stressed that effective mass transit systems, like subways or light rail, rely on complementary services such as buses or bike-sharing programs to ensure that passengers can easily reach the main transit lines.
According to Khurshid, launching the BRT system without these supporting services would likely lead to low ridership and high operational costs, making the project inefficient and unsustainable. He suggests that the authorities should focus on improving the existing public transportation system before implementing a mass transit project.
