Sindh, WB to launch $438m project for improving public transport in Karachi

KARACHI-Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday presiding over a meeting on Bus Rapid Transit (BRTs), Yellow Line and Red Line, decided to construct an alternate bridge at Jam Sadique bridge and acquire 32 acres of land at Cattle Colony for the installation of Biogas plant at Bhains Colony.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Minister Transport Sharjeel Memon, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Finance Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary LG Najam Shah, Secretary Transport Haleem Shaikh and others concerned. 
Sindh Minister Transport Sharjeel Memon, while briefing the Chief Minister said that the overarching objective of the project was to improve mobility, accessibility and safety along the Yellow BRT corridor alignment. Sharjeel said that Sindh government and World Bank, on Wednesday, agreed to conduct a joint survey of BRT Yellow Line route, a $438 million project aimed at improving public transport in Karachi. 
A 21 km long Yellow line corridor would be constructed from Korangi’s Dawood Chowrangi area to Numaish, the central junction of different BRT Lines, while connecting Jam Sadiq Bridge, Main Korangi Road, FTC Interchange, Shah Rah Faisal and Shah Rah Quaideen, and Kashmir Road Interchange of BRT. 
Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon discussed with World Bank representatives details of BRT Yellow Line Project in a meeting.
Sharjeel Memon told the CM Sindh that the BRT Yellow Line project was being launched with the assistance of the World bank for Rs 61 billion. The BRT would have 28 stations, including 6 underpass stations, nine underpasses, two U-turns and 2-bridges. He disclosed that the BRT Yellow Line would have 268 diesel Hybrid buses with regular rider-ship of 300,000 per day.
It was pointed out that the BRT Yellow Line would have 80-100 km off-corridor road facilities which needed to be improved.  Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the P&D and Transport dept to finalize the alignment of Jam Sadiq Bridge alternate as a right of way of the Yellow Line so that work on the proposed bridge could be started. He added that he had assured the World Bank team that the remaining formalities of the bridge and the overall project would be finalized at the earliest to launch the project.
Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon told the CM that the Consultancy Contract for procurement of consulting services for the preparation of the detailed design has been awarded. He added that the consultants have submitted technical reports which were being reviewed.
The chief minister was told that the Yellow Line needs 10 acres of land for BRT Yellow Line Depot for which the Cm directed the chief secretary to arrange the land in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area. 
The Chief Minister was told that the work on BRT Red Line was in progress on a war footing. Sharjeel Memon told the CM that the work on the development of the infrastructure of Red Line would be completed by mid of 2024. He raised the issue of the installation of a Biogas plant for Redline at Cattle Colony. The Sindh CM directed the local govt dept to arrange 32-acre land at Colony so that plant could be installed.
Sindh government was committed to improve the public transport system of the province and was ready to bring 300 electric buses to Karachi immediately, the minister vowed and highlighted excellent opportunities in the transport sector for global investors as well. 

He said that the Sindh government was also devising a plan of a bullet train between Karachi and Sukkur that was the most viable bullet train route in the province with excellent investment opportunities. 
In the first phase Karachi will be connected to Hyderabad while in the next phase the route will be extended to Sukkur, he briefed and sought WB assistance for the project that was responded by the delegation positively. 

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