There are many people who play a significant role in our stories and there are many sources which support us in changing our stories. A human without support of other entities of the universe can’t travel alone on the road of success. Today’s discussion is about the positive mirror of the traditional and cultural Buses of every area which is the need of today’s world and play vital role in Climate Action Sustainability.

I was attending ‘Climate Action Fellowship 2024’ face to face sessions. We were discussing the ideology of “stop extra cars”.
Ma’am, the role of Peshawar Bus is also incredible and climate friendly, I said.

Peshawar Bus, Ma’am inquired with wonder.

I travelled in the Peshawar Bus of Rustam to complete my research in Peshawar University in my student life. It’s actually the implementation of the ideology of stopping extra traffic. A pair of girls laughed and passed a comment “Dear, share your experience”, it will be new for ma’am, “Instead of safar [travel], people mostly suffer in that” they passed this comment with a laugh. I looked back at them, smiled and started sharing my experience.

Peshawar Bus is a safe, secure, affordable and flexible, disciplined and cozy source of travel, as well as a blessing for the needy and punctual people of my village. If you want to be on time at school, colleges and university, don’t worry, just get up early, put your bag on your shoulder, be ready and wait on a specific stop.

If you are a village lady, want to attend a function in another city and to meet your relatives, feel easy, just pick up a hen in your hands and a bottle of Homemade Butter and wait for its coming. If you are a man of a village, you want to be at your office on time. Just prepare your file and wait for its unique horn sound.

Yes, it comes slowly with a loud horn and a man standing in the door of the Bus calling repeatedly in a funny way ‘Pekhawarhi Bus, Pekhawarhi Bus la razay, Rustam na Baroobaar Mardan, Sadar, Shuba (Peshawar Bus, come to travel in Peshawar Bus, direct from Rustam to Mardan, Saddar, Shoba) Thror zar kawa,ala naika kheja, baba la laar warka (Anti, hurry up, give space to old man). These types of words were their daily calls. This bus was also famous for its colorful and unique art, poetry and paintings on it.

It was early morning, I offered namaz e fajar, wore my burqa with the sound of a horn coming from a faraway village. I came out of home with my father holding my bag. Only flocks of birds were flying, saying thanks to Allah for every blessing in their beautiful voices. We stood on the roadside, waiting for its arrival. Some people were also standing at a distance on the same side of the road and waiting. Suddenly a loud horn was heard from nearby, a traditional and cultural Bus decorated with yellow, green, red and white flowers and small pieces of clothes which made it unique, was coming slowly. Conductor hangs from the bus door and repeats ”Peshawar Bus”, Peshawar Bus la razay and some other sentences which are mentioned above. The bus conductor called my father “Bacha sahib, come and take this seat”. My father thanked him, helped me to have a seat in the bus, told the driver to drop me at the gate of the university and said ”Allah Hafiz ”.

I sat on a seat, looked around, women on the left were holding hens in their hands and talking about their in-laws. Beside me, two boys were fighting for seats, children were crying and some men were busy in political discussions and laughing. But still there was satisfaction on each face. I put my head on the seat and slept, I woke up with the sudden jolt of the bus.

I was going to university to complete my Research. It was my daily routine to travel in Peshawar Bus, to sleep for a while, to wake up with a jolt of Bus, to listen to voices of ladies, men, hens and children and finally to reach her destination safe and secure. This bus played a tectonic role not only in my story but also in the stories of thousands of people. No doubt it covers the 3 hours distance in 4 to 5 hours but it teaches you the great lessons of early rise, punctuality, time management, discipline and patience. You have to listen, forebear and understand others. It teaches you to fight for your rights otherwise you will lose your seat of comfort. Today, at this stage I am considering it as a blessing for every girl like me.

It would not be possible for me and for many other girls to continue studying without the Peshawar bus. For many people, maybe it’s just suffering but for me it’s a blessing, A Peshawar bus in which all the people of nearby villages travel to attend offices, school, colleges, and university, to meet relatives, to reach hospitals and to attend functions. Last but not least, it is an environmental lover also, it promotes the slogan of “Say No to use of extra cars”. It is so suitable for earth and climate sustainability.

Daily, at least 100 people travel in it and avoid the use of their personal cars, secondly its fare is affordable, save energy and power. Let’s take the positive vibes of this traditional and cultural transport and promote its good image. Let’s don’t relate it with suffering, but relate it with the implementation of Earth friendly, traditional and cultural ideology.

I paused and stopped sharing my experience with the sounds of clapping; I looked back to the girls who passed negative comments early. I didn’t wonder that the same pair was standing and clapping. All the fellows followed them. I smiled and said ‘It is appreciation for the positive mirror of the traditional and cultural Buses of every area which is the need of today’s world and play Vital role in Climate Action Sustainability’.