KARACHI, Jan 8: A foreign expert on Sunday said a study was being carried out with the assistance of the federal government to introduce 18,000 environment-friendly CNG busses in Karachi over a period of the next five years. Expert of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Noboru Kondo stated this while speaking at a seminar ‘Personal Trip Study’ organized by JICA and the city government at a local hotel.

He said the study, completed in three months, would help in improving implementation of the Karachi Mass Transit Programme. It would also assist town planners, housing authorities and help in finding solutions to traffic problems.

For the study, he said 26,300 homes from 18 towns and six cantonments were being surveyed and information related to financial and social aspects was being gathered. It would also help undertake planning of the Karachi Circular Railway.

The Sindh Planning and Development Minister, Shoaib Bukhari, stressed the need for taking practical steps on scientific lines to solve the traffic problems of Karachi.

The DG Mass Transit Cell, Malik Zahirul Islam, hoped JICA would continue its support in the future as well for solving traffic problems of the metropolis.

Engineer Dr Shahid Alam, in the light of the study, said 100,000 containers carried goods from Karachi to other cities daily.

The Pakistan Railways was not playing its due role in this regard and the private sector should step forward to improve the situation, he added.

The Sindh government officials, representatives of PIA, the PR and Pakistan Customs also attended the seminar.—PPI