Senior citizens to get free BRT travel under Ehsaas Buzurg Card

PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has given in-principle approval for the Ehsaas Buzurg Card, under which citizens aged 60 and above will be able to travel free on BRT buses.
The provincial government will bear an estimated annual cost of Rs935 million for the initiative, according to a meeting chaired by the chief minister on Tuesday, according to an official statement.
The statement said the meeting was informed that eligible senior citizens would be verified through the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), after which the cards would be issued within five months.
A fine of Rs500 would be imposed on cardholders found using the facility in violation of the prescribed conditions, it added.
Mr Afridi directed the authorities to ensure a transparent and user-friendly mechanism for issuing the cards and implementing the free travel facility.
He said the initiative was aimed at providing senior citizens with dignified and accessible public transport and described it as part of the government’s welfare agenda.
The chief minister said the Ehsaas Buzurg Card reflected PTI founder Imran Khan’s vision of a welfare state and directed the relevant authorities to ensure that the maximum number of eligible citizens benefited from the scheme.