The Sindh government, in a bid to modernize public transport in Karachi, announced plans to introduce double-decker buses on the city’s roads. Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon revealed this during a key meeting on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of improving the city’s urban transport system.
The provincial government has already initiated the procurement process for the double-decker buses. “We are committed to modernising public transport in Karachi,” said Memon, who also oversees Information, Transport, Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control. He highlighted that this initiative would make travel more affordable and comfortable for citizens.
During the meeting, attended by Director Soheb Shafiq and Abdul Shakoor, the Manager of Operations for the People’s Bus Service, it was decided that 50 new buses would be purchased for the service. Memon directed the Mass Transit Authority and other relevant bodies to accelerate the procurement and construction of new bus stations for the People’s Bus Service.
In a related development, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah instructed the Planning and Development (P&D) Department to speed up the approval of 162 development schemes, valued at Rs75.639 billion, which are part of Karachi’s Rs187.3 billion development portfolio. These projects are set to be completed by the next fiscal year to address the city’s growing needs.
Additionally, the Sindh government is preparing to take over the operations of the Green Line bus service from the federal government in December 2024. Sharjeel Memon, who reviewed the Green Line project in a recent meeting, highlighted the project’s significance and expressed hope that the Orange Line connection would be completed before the transfer date. The federal government has provided a Rs2 billion subsidy for the Green Line’s operations, which will be reviewed by the Sindh government to ensure further enhancements to Karachi’s transport services.
