January 25, 2002	Friday	Ziqa’ad 10, 1422

KARACHI, Jan 24: The city government has proposed that the existing tracks of Karachi Circular Railways be extended to the thickly-populated areas of the city to facilitate the commuters.

Presiding over a meeting on “revitalization of the KCR” at the city government head-office recently, the City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, observed that the KCR caters to the travel demands of approximately one-third area in its close proximity, the remaining area involves transfer from one mode of transport to the other.

“The consultants (preparing the feasibility report on the revival of the KCR) should, therefore, re-define the scope of each phase and include extensions to the thickly populated areas in the first phase,” he said.

Referring to his recent meeting with the Chief Executive in Islamabad in which the CE issued directives offering special incentives to encourage introduction of large buses, the City Nazim suggested the consultants to include the scheme for induction of large buses in the overall scope of the project.

He emphasised that the fare structure of the KCR be made attractive for passengers as compared to road transport fares.

The Engineering Consultants International had arranged a presentation on the KCR in the meeting, and it was attended by the DCO Karachi, the EDO Transport & Communication, Town Nazims and other officials.

Sources in the transport department told Dawn that the Sindh government had issued letters of intent to the consultants to work out the pros and cons for the revival of the KCR.

The consultants are exploring ways to prepare an immediate future plan to revive the operation of the KCR, and they would prepare short-and-long-term plans for a sustainable and long-lasting operation of the KCR.

According to the provincial government estimates, the execution of the KCR operation on short-term basis would cost Rs 1 to 1.5 billion.

The ECIL representatives in their first presentation to the City Nazim disclosed that the KCR Revitalization Project comprised three phases.

The first phase comprises improvement of the KCR between Drigh Road and City Station via Wazir Mansion, which would include upgradation of tracks, signalling system, improvement and relocation of stations and miscellaneous advancement works.

This phase also comprises an effective integration with the road network, initial train frequency with an interval of every 15 minutes, and provision of rolling stock.

The second phase comprises laying of additional spurs in North Karachi, North Nazimabad and other areas.

In the third phase, additional tracks would be provided between Landhi and City Station and double tracks would be laid on the entire KCR network.

A ban would be imposed on the entry of minibuses and operation of buses within the circle; shopping malls would be constructed at stations and level crossings would be eliminated by building flyovers.

The ECIL representatives told