80 China-made buses to serve 135,000 passengers daily
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday inaugurated the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project which will see 80 China-made buses serving the Karachiites.
This is the port city’s first mass transit system. The bus service will start from Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) Powerhouse Chowrangi in Surjani Town and terminate at Municipal park after passing through Nagan Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad and Gurumandir, with 25 stations along its route. The China-made buses will cater to 135,000 passengers on a daily basis. The 80 buses, imported from China, will be operated by 200 drivers who have completed their training.
Around 22 stations between Surjani Town and Numaish Chowrangi have been completed. Another three stations to extend the service to Municipal Park are yet to be constructed.
The government has yet to announce the ticket prices for the Green Line BRT project. However, according to experts, the government will set Pakistani Rs 15 minimum and Pakistani Rs 55 maximum prices for bus service.
Karachi’s Green Line BRT project is 22 kilometers long which includes 12.7 km elevated, 10.9 km at grade, and 422 meters underground, and has 25 stations.
The phase-II common corridor from Gurumandir up to Municipal Park with a length of 2.5 km has two underpasses at M.A Jinnah Road.
The state-of-art underground bus terminal with a parking facility and the commercial mezzanine floor was also constructed at Numaish intersection. The construction work on Phase-I of the project was started in 2016.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, PM Imran Khan appreciated Javed Qureshi, Asad Umar and Imran Ismail for their vigorous efforts for the launch of the mega project.
He maintained that Karachi was the growth engine of Pakistan and upliftment of the city means upliftment of Pakistan. The PM hoped the Green Line Bus project, which launched its partial operations on Friday, will be fully functional by the mid of January.
Giving the example of Iranian capital Tehran, PM Imran Khan stressed that Karachi cannot be transformed into a modern city until the removal of administrative flaws. “Despite international sanctions, Tehran is a modern city,” he added.
