ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar Sunday said the long-delayed Green Line bus rapid transit system (BRTS) will be ready for trial operations in Karachi in the next 10 days.
In a tweet, Umar said service, funded by the federal government and touted as a solution to public transport woes of residents of Karachi, will begin commercial operation from December 25 following its inauguration by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
کل کراچی گرین لائن منصوبے کا تفصیلی جائزہ لیا. انشاءاللہ اگلے دس دن میں یہ منصوبہ ٹرائل آپریشن کے لئے طیار ہو گا. اس کے بعد وزیراعظم @ImranKhanPTI کراچی آ کر منصوبے کا افتتاح کریں گے. تقریباً دو ہفتے ٹرائل آپریشن کے بعد انشاءاللہ 25 دسمبر کو کمرشل آپریشن کا آغاز کر دیا جائے گا
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) November 28, 2021
One of the provincial capital’s major public transport projects, the Rs16.85 billion service — work on which started in 2016 — was estimated to be completed by the end of 2017 but kept getting new deadlines as the metropolis of over 14 million continued to suffer in the absence of a proper mass transit system.
The BRT service is supposed to facilitate the travel of approximately 300,000 passengers daily.
Karachi ranks as having the worst public transport system globally, according to a 2019 study by car-parts company Mister Auto that looked at 100 major cities.
It serves about 42 percent of Karachi’s commuters, relying on decades-old, overcrowded buses that use the roof as a second deck for passengers at times. Roads are filled with potholes, not all traffic signals are automated, and it’s common to see drivers running red lights.
Since the launch of the scheme, the battered roads on either side of the route have turned into a great source of nuisance for commuters and for the shopkeepers doing their businesses.
A ray of hope emerged for Karachi’s residents in September when the first consignment of 40 buses for the Service reached the city. A second consignment of 40 buses for the project arrived a month later in October.
Also in September, Umar said the project is a modern technology-based transport system, comprising a 22-kilometre dedicated corridor aimed at providing easier mobility and catering to the travel needs of 135,000 passengers per day.
The dedicated corridor will serve some of the most populated neighbourhoods of Karachi, covering Surjani Town to Guru Mandir and Numaish Chowrangi in Phase 1.
