PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to introduce the province’s first-ever comprehensive transport policy aimed at establishing a safe, accessible, efficient and sustainable transport system.
The draft Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transport Policy, 2026, was discussed at a consultative session held here on Friday, with representatives of various departments and institutions being in attendance.
Special assistant to the chief minister on transport and mass transit Samiullah Khan attended the event as the chief guest.
Transport secretary Mohammad Zubair, Managing Director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mobility Authority Iftikhar Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer of TransPeshawar Dr Syed MurtazaAsghar Bukhari, the Provincial Transport Authority secretary, director (transport) and other relevant officials also attended the session.
The policy, to be formally implemented after approval by the provincial cabinet, seeks to provide a clear roadmap for improving the transport sector, reducing road accidents and ensuring affordable and inclusive mobility, particularly for women, persons with disabilities and underserved segments of society.
Addressing the session, Mr Samiullah termed the formulation of the policy a major milestone for the province, saying it will provide a framework for addressing transport-related challenges and improving public services.
He said the provincial govern-ment was also working on sev-eral new initiatives, including a circular railway project in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, electric bikes for women and girls and promotion of green transport across the province.
He said preparations for launching the electric-bike initiative in Peshawar had been completed, while the project would subsequently be expanded to other parts ofthe province.
The special assistant said a transport master plan was also being prepared for Peshawar, while feasibility studies for divisional headquarters would incorporate greenenergy transport initiatives.
He said the 2026 transport policy was only the beginning of a broader process and would be further improved in light of the province’s needs and priorities and recommendations from stakeholders.
Secretary Zubair said a policyprovided a roadmap for achieving clearly defined objectives.
He said the chief minister had directed the Transport Department to formulate the policy and the task had now been completed.
The secretary added that work would also be undertaken on an electric vehicles policy in accordance with the CM’s directives.
The draft policy envisages improved connectivity between different modes of transport and modern infrastructure for freight, logistics and trade.
It also focused on better regulation, regional trade corridors, digital systems, transparent governance and effective monitoring to strengthen transport institutions.
The session also featured presentations on the key objectives and salient features of the draft policy by its consultant Dr Syed Akhtar Ali Shah. APP