Comment by Riaz Haq on January 12, 2017 at 7:02pm

#Karachi's #metrobus Green Line to benefit 400,000 commuters every day. #Pakistan #MassTransit https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/174274-Green-Line-to-benefit-40000... …

The Green Line project would benefit 400,000 commuters of Karachi on a daily basis, said President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday.
He was chairing a meeting at the Governor House, where he was briefed on the Karachi Metrobus project, a bus rapid transit system (BRTS) that would be the largest metro bus network in Pakistan upon completion.
The president said that after being successful in Lahore, Islamabad and Multan, the system would now be available to the people of Karachi, who would be provided with modern mass transportation facilities.
The Green Line portion of the metrobus project, which is being funded by the federal government, would be completed by the end of next year, he added.
He said the Centre had provided a wonderful gift in the form of Green Line, as it would alleviate the intra-city travelling issues of the people of the provincial capital.
He added that modes of mass transportation had always been a major issue for big cities, including Karachi, and the issue had been compounded with the rapid increase in population.
He hoped that when the project is completed, it would resolve the vehicular traffic issues that are worsening in the interior parts of the city.
Hussain said the federal government had envisioned this project to provide civic facilities to the masses, adding that the citizens of Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, who use the BRTS, considered it a “blessing”, as it saved their time and money.
He said monuments of cultural and national heritage along the proposed route of the BRTS in Karachi had been taken care of during construction.
He directed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to personally monitor the project and ensure that it is completed within the stipulated time and required specifications and standards.
He said Karachi was rightly considered the economic hub, as the city’s functioning enabled the functioning of the entire country. “For these reasons, a proposal to install a water desalination plant in the city is under consideration.”
The president later told the media that Green Line would help raise the living standards of the people of Karachi and alleviate their relevant civic issues.

Meeting with governor
Besides development projects in progress, the president discussed Karachi’s law and order issues and the ongoing operation against criminals and terrorists with Governor Justice (retd) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui and CM Shah. They reiterated their resolve to continue the targeted operation until peace is restored.
The governor said the mass transit and the Lyari Expressway projects would help provide modern transportation facilities to the residents of Karachi.
The president said the Karachi Circular Railway project was being included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under the directives of the prime minister.
The CM said the provincial government had been taking important steps for development and progress of Karachi, and mentioned the vital Orange Line component of the Karachi Metrobus project.

Comment by Riaz Haq on May 31, 2017 at 4:56pm

#China's company plans #bus manufacturing plant in #Pakistan. #CPEC #MassTransit

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1423281/chinese-company-plans-bus-manu...

KARACHI: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has indeed opened several avenues for business ventures that were previously unexplored between Pakistan and China.

In one such development, a renowned Chinese company – Yutong Bus – has expressed interest in investing in inter-city and intra-city bus services in Sindh.

Pakistan ramps up coal power with Chinese-backed plants
An 11-member delegation of Yutong Bus, led by General Manager Shi Cun Tu, expressed the interest while talking to Sindh Board of Investment (SBI) Chairperson Naheed Memon at her office on Tuesday.

They discussed various aspects of investment in plying inter-city and intra-city buses in Sindh, including Karachi.

The delegation told the SBI chairperson that their company was keen to pour money into running buses on different routes in Karachi and is also interested in setting up a manufacturing plant for the purpose.

Memon welcomed their offer and noted that there were many opportunities of investment in the transport sector in Sindh and the provincial government would continue to encourage public-private partnership projects.

The SBI chairperson asked the delegation to come up with suggestions on the basis of their priorities so that the Sindh government could take further steps.

Mass transit

The Sindh government is set to allocate Rs3.19 billion for the transport and mass transit system in the budget for fiscal year 2017-18, a source in the Sindh Finance Department said.

The allocation includes Rs2.29 billion for 11 new schemes for inter-city and intra-city transport services in the province. The provincial government is considering initiating multiple road transportation projects like the Green Line project launched by the federal government in Karachi.

The projects eyed by the Sindh government include Bus Rapid Transport Service (BRTS) Red Line, BRTS Blue Line and BRTS Yellow Line. All the three projects are for Karachi, the business hub of Pakistan.

Other transportation schemes include expansion in road and circular railway networks within and among cities including Karachi, Jacobabad and Khairpur, the source said.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: ‘Long-term plan’ to be inked soon

Apart from these, the 11 new schemes comprise construction of a bus terminal in Garhi Khairo, Jacobabad; construction of integrated Intelligent Transportation System for Karachi and upgrading of traffic signals (second phase) in multiple cities including Karachi.

The provincial government is scheduled to announce the budget on June 5, 2017.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 27, 2018 at 4:00pm

Serious Delays in Major #GreenLine #BRT Public Transport Project in #Karachi. #Traffic #Pakistan https://thewire.in/216316/green-line-bus-delays-spoil-a-major-publi... … via @thewire_in 

Work on the extended portion has already been delayed considerably due to objections raised by the Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board that saw its elevated track as obscuring the view of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum. The board’s by-laws prohibit any construction higher than the mausoleum’s podium – upon which its domed building stands – in its 1.2-km radius.

“If we go ahead with building the proposed elevated section of the BRT and stations that cover the entire width of MA Jinnah Road, then the [mausoleum] will not be visible from Seventh Day Adventist Hospital to the Municipal Park … and well beyond. The vision of the founding fathers and that of the architect will be compromised and it will be a loss to Karachi and to its present and future citizens,” is how architect and urban planner Arif Hasan summed up the objections in a column in the daily Dawn in May 2017. He is a member of the Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board.

It took three months to address the problem through a redesigning of the project. An underpass is now being built between Guru Mandir and Al Haaj Bundoo Khan restaurant on MA Jinnah Road. From there onwards, an elevated road is planned to lead to the last stop. Work on the underpass is in its early phase while the construction of the elevated part has yet to begin.

There have been some other design-related problems.

For instance, the Sindh government sought changes in the original design passing through the Numaish Chowrangi area because, as it argued, it wanted to build other BRT tracks in the same place. It, therefore, demanded that a two-lane underpass there be widened to three lanes.

The redesign has jacked up the project’s cost exponentially, says Channa. “The original cost of the underpass was estimated at Rs 800 million but the redesigned plan – which also envisages an integrated bus terminal for Green, Red, Yellow and Blue lines, a turnaround facility and parking for 25 buses – has increased its cost to 2.5 billion (Pakistani) rupees,” he says.

The Sindh government has also raised objections to the elevated portion from Bundu Khan restaurant onwards to the end. It says an elevated track will be difficult to expand for future BRT lines and argues that the track be constructed at ground level.

A final decision is yet to be made on this – as well on the project’s extension to the Merewether Clock Tower – which may cause further delay in its completion.

“Whether the Green Line project will benefit Karachi or not, its delayed construction has ruined our business,” says M Jawed Qureshi who heads the Gulbahar Traders Association that represents shopkeepers at a ceramics and sanitary-ware market located almost halfway between Guru Mandir and Nazimabad. Demolition work and digging for the project damaged and narrowed main roads because of which customers avoided visiting the market, he says. “This affected 15% wholesale and over 50% retail business.” Also affected was the livelihood of over 2,500 labourers and 550 goods carriers working at the market, he adds.

Major traffic jams could be witnessed at many places along the under-construction track, causing massive inconvenience to everyone concerned — commuters, transport operators, traders and street vendors, among others. “No diversions or alternative routes were provided to [redirect] traffic during the entire period of construction, wreaking havoc on commuting time and businesses,” says Rehan Hashmi, former member of the National Assembly from Karachi and chairman of the city’s District Municipal Corporation (Central).

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 27, 2018 at 4:00pm

#Karachi's #Lyari Expressway finally completed 8 years behind schedule and over 100% over budget. #Pakistan The Express Tribune

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1619093/1-lyari-expressways-completion...

KARACHI: Originally scheduled to be completed in 2009, the Lyari Expressway’s completion has finally been announced in January, 2018. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will inaugurate the expressway’s north-bound track starting from Mauripur tomorrow (Sunday).

Due to the abnormal delay in its completion, the expressway became a symbol of maladministration of successive governments. The project was conceived in 2002 and was scheduled to be completed in 2009. Its south-bound track connecting Sohrab Goth to Mauripur Road was completed earlier and is being use since 2010 but the other track took years to be completed due to remaining work on its 1.6 kilometre portion, which was allegedly encroached upon. Lack of federal government funding was also cited as one of the reasons for the delay.

“Around 99% work was already finished and only 1% [incomplete portion] created hindrance for years. Finally, we have finished it,” Lyari Expressway Project Director Javed Langah told The Express Tribune. “From Sunday, there will be uninterrupted traffic flow on both tracks from Sohrab Goth to Mauripur and back,” Langah said, adding that around 10,000 vehicles are expected to ply on the expressway every day.

It also seems that the project has not been completed in its entirety. Lighting on the expressway has not been completely arranged. “There is a lighting issue which will be resolved soon,” the project director said.

According to official documents, the original cost of the project was Rs5 billion. However, due to delays, it kept increasing over the years. “Now, the total estimated cost of this project, with lighting, stands at Rs11 billion,” Langah said.

The Lyari Expressway is a16km-long elevated thoroughfare which runs along the Lyari River. It is a toll road which allows signal-free traffic movement between Sohrab Goth and Mauripur Road.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 10, 2021 at 11:02am

#Pakistan's #imrankhanPTI inaugurates #Karachi's much-awaited Green Line bus rapid transit service. Commits to K4 #municipal #watersupply project completion in 14-15 months. #GreenLineForKarachi #Transport #Water https://www.dawn.com/news/1663004

The premier said he was also pursuing the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme project, also called K-IV, through coordination with Wapda. The project will be approved by next month following which its groundbreaking will be performed, and it will be completed in 14-15 months.

"By Aug-Sept 2023, we will be supplying water to Karachi from Keenjhar lake," he said.

Detailing other public welfare projects that the government is focusing on, the prime minister said the health card scheme was successfully being rolled out in PTI-ruled provinces. "I want to tell the Sindh government that provinces are contributing in it and they must also play their part," he added.

He also called upon the provincial government to reconsider its opposition to the federal government's plan to develop islands near Karachi into real-estate projects.

"Our population is growing. We are building a modern city named Ravi City in Lahore and taking care of the environment there," Imran said. "Pollution levels are also high in Karachi and it is necessary to have a modern city like the Bundal Island project. When we undertake projects, it is better if we do it collectively with coordination."

'We don't just make promises, we deliver'
Earlier, Planning Minister Umar thanked the SIDCL and parliamentarians from Karachi for their efforts for the project. He said the Sindh governor was "supervising" the project since the PTI came to power. In Dec 2020, he said, the SIDCL became a part of the planning ministry and the government started working on the project.

The minister recalled that the project had been approved in 2016, and while the PML-N stayed in power for the next 28 months, the project's infrastructure was not built.

"The order for the buses was also not placed and neither was the payment system designed; the operation and maintenance tender was also not placed," he said, adding that the PML-N only thought about building a track surrounded by grills "with no other facilities available".

"Karachi's rights were not given to the city in the last three of their (PML-N and PPP's) governments," Umar remarked.

Lashing out at the PPP, Umar said the party merely used the name of Sindh, while the PTI-led government actually worked for the province.

Calling Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari an "innocent child", the minister said the PPP chairman had asked for "time" to work for Sindh. "Dear child, 50 years ago your grandfather was made the chief martial law administrator of the president of Pakistan. How much more time do you need?"

He said the party had formed government in the province six times and four times in the Centre, but still had nothing to show for it.

Commenting on the Karachi Transformation Plan announced by the prime minister last year, he said the scheme included five major projects, one of which — the Green Line project — was being inaugurated today. "Commercial operations will begin on December 25 and total operations will start by January 10," he announced.

He said that the second project concerned the construction of stormwater drains in the city, adding that work on the Mehmoodabad nullah had been completed and it would be inaugurated in 10 days. The minister further said 50 per cent of the work on the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs had been completed.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 12, 2022 at 10:09am

With 80 buses, Karachi's Green Line becomes fully operational

https://www.dawn.com/news/1668824


A new and unknown world of mass transit opened up for Karachiites as the Green Line bus service became fully operational on Mon­day. As many as 80 buses could be spotted moving towards Surjani Town from Numaish and the other way around from 7am till 10pm.

Venturing inside the entrance, you find yourself heading downstairs to a two-level basement. The first level had the ticketing area.

For now one can get tickets in two ways one of which is going to the ticketing booth and pay Rs55 for a ticket for whether you are travelling to the station ahead or to all 22 stations. But another better and economical way is to buy a Rs100 card which can be topped up. As you reach a station to get off, the machines there will deduct your fare as per kilometre of your travelling.

Later, there will be more options for buying tickets.


“You will also have the option of buying tickets through vending machines, which we will be made functional in a week or so. And within two to three months there will also be point of sale or POS machines attached to the vending machines as these can charge you through your credit or debit cards,” Abdul Aziz, the senior manager (bus operation and intelligence transport system) of the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SIDCL), explained to Dawn.

He said that they had tried to replicate UK’s bus system here.

Telling more about the vending machines at the bus stations here, he said that they are state-of-the-art machines bought from Turkey, which can also accept currency notes.

“The vending machines, when fully operational, will issue tickets as well as top-up cards, which will help lessen human interaction in a Covid environment. Still, the less tech savvy can go to the ticketing booth,” he said.

“There will also be another option of topping up your bus cards through your mobile app, which is also going to begin in a couple of months. Your card will carry a unique ID number that you can enter to top up through your credit or debit card, Easypaisa, etc, right from the comfort of your home,” he added.

Non-fare revenue
He also spoke about minimising government subsidy here. “For this we have worked on non-fare revenue, too. The government can earn from bus fares and from non-fare ways as well such as advertisements. For that we have kept digital marketing inside the buses as well as printed ads,” he said.

Meanwhile, going another level down, you can catch your bus, which stops at the station only for two to three minutes.

But that doesn’t mean that you need to hurry as there is no chance of you ever missing your bus. One bus leaves, and another comes in within three minutes of its leaving.

Getting on the bus from Numaish, which for now is an end as well as start of route station, you notice that there are not many people leaving from there and the buses are heading off quite empty.

“That’s because the pattern is such that most people come towards their business or work area in the morning. Most markets and offices happen to be in the Saddar area and so people are travelling this direction. The rush to the way back home will pick up in the afternoon,” Mr Aziz pointed out.

He also said that SIDCL has a central command and control centre in the Garden area. “Currently, we are doing an origin and destination survey also. In about one or two months we will have data about how many travellers are using our buses and travelling from where. After that we may even revise the bus timings,” he said.

He also shared that for park and ride, they will also be opening up parking spaces from Station 2, which is the KDA Flats station to Station 9, which is the U.P. Morr Station.

“That was you can come, park your vehicle and get on the bus. This is also known as ‘last mile connectivity’,” he said.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 4, 2022 at 11:10am

Private funding model agreed for #Karachi Circular #Railway. #KCR will serve 457,000 riders daily, rising to one million before the end of initial 33 year concession period. #Electric #trains will operate on the railway for 17 hours daily. #Pakistan https://www.railjournal.com/financial/private-funding-model-agreed-...

THE Pakistan federal government has approved a proposal for the construction and operation of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) using a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Construction of the 43km double track line is expected to take around three years, and will cost Rs 220 billion ($US 2.92bn).

Mr Asad Umar, minister for planning, development and special initiatives chaired the PPP Authority Board meeting in Islamabad on January 25, where the proposals were reviewed.

Under the proposal, the private sector will finance the construction, civil works, electrical and mechanical works, as well as the operations and maintenance of the KCR.

The Pakistan government will provide capital viability gap funding in order to improve the financial viability of the project. This is expected to be around Rs 80-90bn which would be provided in the first three years of the concession being operational.

The PPP Authority Board also decided that the railway board would be requested to make 13 properties on the route available for lease for 99 years. This is designed to meet the initial financing since the profit will ultimately go to Pakistan Railways (PR).

The KCR is expected to serve 457,000 passengers per day when it opens, and this is expected to rise to one million by the end of the initial 33 year concession period. Electric trains will operate on the railway for 17 hours each day.

Asad said that KCR is an important part of the Karachi transformation plan and will play a pivotal role in providing an affordable and reliable public transport system.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 24, 2022 at 8:46pm

Sindh CM inaugurates headquarters of Rescue 1122 in Karachi

https://www.nation.com.pk/23-Dec-2022/sindh-cm-inaugurates-headquar...

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the headquarters of Rescue 1122 established in cooperation with the World Bank in Karachi on Friday.

Addressing the ceremony on the occasion, Syed Murad Ali Shah said Rescue 1122 service is already working in Karachi, Larkana, Thatta, Sujawal, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Hyderabad districts and from tomorrow it will also start working in Badin as well.

He said that Rescue 1122 emergency service has been established under World Bank Sindh Resilience Project.

The Chief Minister Sindh said that ambulance service, fire service, urban rescue and search service, water rescue service will be provided in Karachi city under this service.

He said that the rescue service will be started at main roads and highways every after 50 kilometers to ensure provision of immediate services to the people in emergencies in the province.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 24, 2022 at 8:51pm

Sindh government launched Emergency service Rescue 1122 from Karachi 

https://www.radio.gov.pk/31-05-2022/sindh-govt-launches-rescue-1122...

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the service.

The service is aimed at providing immediate medical aid to people and shifting them to hospitals in emergencies.

Initially, fifty ambulances have been provided for the service which will be increased to 230 across the province.

The service will be initiated in other Divisions and districts in the second Phase.

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 4, 2023 at 4:03pm

The newly launched People’s Bus Service in Karachi now allows residents to track buses in real time using a smartphone app.

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-karachi-residents...

The Sindh government introduced the app for iPhone and Android users, offering information on bus fares, timings, and other essential details.

It also enables real-time monitoring of the bus service.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the People’s Bus Service aims to provide comfortable commuting facilities to urban residents.

Additionally, the government has introduced electric and Pink bus services specifically for women passengers.

The People’s Bus Service has been expanded to seven cities within a year, with the Sindh government subsidizing millions of rupees monthly for affordable and uninterrupted mass transportation.

The government’s priorities include modernising mass transit services, such as the environmentally-friendly biogas-fuelled Red Line section of the Bus Rapid Transit Service (BRTS) in Karachi.

A total of Rs 200 billion will be invested in constructing the Red Line and Yellow Line sections of the BRTS.

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