KARACHI – Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed said a rapid bus transit facility was essential for Karachi and could resolve the prevailing transport problems.
Addressing a meeting, which was attended by Mass Transit DG Rasheed Mughal, Transport and Communications Director Muhammad Ather and other officers, the administrator said under the RBTS, a ‘yellow line’ service would be taken as a pilot project on a 22-km route from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish Chowrangi & Lucky Star via 8000 Road Korangi and FTC under public-private partnership mode, where 0.7 million seven commute a single day. The proposed RBTS would cater to 13,000 passengers per hour on each route.
The administrator emphasised the need for rapid bus transit facility.
Later, KMTC DG Rasheed Mughal, in his presentation, briefed about the city’s demographic pattern, travel demand trend, JICA study recommendation for transit project and projected cost of infra-structure and various system. He also informed about the features of the RBT system and its components.
He explained that the RBTS “yellow line” would be a 22-km route from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish Chowrangi & Lucky Star via 8000 Road Korangi and FTC.
The feasibility and transaction structure of RBTS would enable KMTC, KMC to make an informed decision that should ensure an affordable, sustainable and replicable system.
The meeting was further informed that the JICA had prepared a mass transit network for Karachi with 2030 vision suggesting two metro system lines and six RBT lines, besides KCR revitalisation programme. The JICA has also prepared feasibility study of two RBTS lines (Green line-Surjani to Jama Cloth market and red line-model colony to Regal Chowk via Safoora Goth, university road) and pre-facility of blue line from Sohrab Goth to Tower.