KARACHI: The Sindh government has allocated a sum of Rs4 billion in the next financial year 2022-23 for procuring more buses to be run in Karachi under its Sindh Peoples Intra-district Bus Project.

In his budget speech at the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that his government wanted to develop a mass transit system in major cities, especially in Karachi, “to ensure safe comfortable and efficient public transport service at affordable fare and on sustainable basis”.

He said that during the outgoing financial year 2021-22, the Sindh government had spent Rs6.4bn for procurement of 250 buses. “For next financial year, Rs4 billion has been earmarked for the same purpose,” he said.

He said that the Sindh Peoples Intra-district Bus Project was aimed at providing all social classes of Karachi with a modern, efficient and sustainable transportation system. “The Project will have 250 buses to be operated on seven routes of Karachi and one route of Larkana. Consultations are under way with China and Turkey for addition of more fleets,” he stated.

He said that the transport and mass transit department had undertaken rehabilitation of the Drivers Training School under the public-private partnership mode at Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana.

The department is also establishing modern terminals at Karachi, Thatta and Badin in the first phase, he said, adding that the revenue department had allotted 100 acres in Scheme 33 for construction of a terminal in the metropolis.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2022