ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s transportation company has said it is ready to launch Pakistan’s first bicycle-sharing system in the provincial capital of Peshawar.
Dubbed Zu Bicycle, the system will be rolled out by government-owned TransPeshawar, which manages Peshawar’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a metro bus service project in the province’s capital.
The word “zu” in the bike project’s name means “let’s go” in Pashto language natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan.
“TransPeshawar has made all necessary arrangements to formally launch the Zu Bicycle sharing system for the public,” TransPeshawar Peshawar said in a statement on Tuesday. “Zu Bicycle sharing system, a state-of-the-art project of BRT Peshawar, is the first of its kind in Pakistan.”
The company believes that with the bicycle system it will be able to decrease traffic volume in the city. It did not specify, however, how soon Zu Bicycle will be launched.
“With the commencement of this system, it will amplify the ease of transport for people from all walks of life, especially for students,” TransPeshawar spokesperson Muhammad Umair Khan said as quoted in the statement.
He added that 360 bicycles are ready for the project.
To rent a bicycle, a refundable deposit of Rs3,000 needs to be submitted at a BRT ticket office.
The first 30 minutes of a Zu Bicycle ride will be free of charge.
