KARACHI: The federal government has decided to put its Green Line Bus Rapid Transit System project for Karachi under video surveillance for security and monitoring of the “state of the art transport service” through closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) with a plan to keep an eye on its pace, fairness and smoothness of the ongoing work, sources and officials said.

They said some 150 cameras had already been installed and were functioning along the route of the Green Line BRTS.

The fact came to light when investigators probing the recent sectarian killing found the surveillance cameras of the federal government-funded project near the Patel Para traffic intersection.

“The footage of those cameras was shown by almost every news channel,” said an official. “It was acquired by the police investigators through the same camera installed for the Green Line project. In fact that particular intersection was not under video surveillance of any camera of the Sindh police or any other institution.”

In February, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had formally performed the groundbreaking of the Rs16.85 billion federal government-funded bus project. A few months ago the federal government approved Rs6.5bn more for the project to extend it by another 10 kilometres, as was initially sought by the Sindh government.

The estimated cost of the project has now reached to over Rs23bn. The redesigning of the project is under way with the approval of the additional financial support of Rs6.5bn

“The video surveillance of the bus service is part of the federal government’s plan,” said an official involved with that particular segment of the project. “For that, a private company has been hired for installation and operation of the entire CCTV system. It has also set up a separate command and control centre for this project. It’s almost functioning.”

The Green Line bus project, approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council, is being executed by the Karachi Infrastructure Development Company.

Starting from the Power House Chowrangi in Surjani Town, the bus service will now terminate at Merewether Tower after passing through Nagan Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Guru Mandir, with more than 20 stations on its route to cater 300,000 passengers daily. With more than 20-kilometre dedicated track, including an 11km elevated section, the bus service project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

This project is being constructed on a bus-way in the median of the roads along the corridor with stations in the centre of the median in both at grade and elevated sections which will provide 25km per hour high capacity service to 29,400 passengers every hour.

“Currently the surveillance system is being used for monitoring of the pace and other aspects of the project building. Once the project is completed, it will be utilised for security purpose of the bus service,” added the official.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2016