• Facilities at most bus stations have been non-functional for several months
• Official says new parts for broken escalators will be imported within a few days

KARACHI: For the past several months, Karachiites have been forced to use steep staircases of the BRT Green Line as escalators and lifts at most bus stations have either stopped working completely or are operational only for a limited time.

After it was made operational in Dec 2021, thousands of people now use Green Line for their daily commute as it is considered safe as well as comfortable as compared to the other modes of public transport in Karachi.

Despite the fact that citizens appreciate the BRT system for its punctuality, safety and other services, they are complaining about the faulty escalators that are not being repaired after passage of many months.

Mr Rehman, who uses the BRT’s Inquiry Office station daily to go to office, said both sides’ escalators and lifts at the said station were inoperative for a long time. The lifts are said to have developed some issues which take longer to repair. “Apart from the fact that I have to use the long stairs, it is especially a problem for my old mother who cannot climb the stairs,” he added.

“When we have to go somewhere with my mother, we don’t use the Green Line as it often has such issues, and therefore, we either book an online taxi or call a rickshaw,” he added and demanded that the authorities look into the matter and fix the issue.

A citizen from the North Nazimabad area said the escalators at Green Line’s Hyderi station were not functional for the past many months and that people, especially the elderly, had no option but to use the long stairs if they were to use the bus. “If the government has provided us such good transportation facility, it should also ensure its maintenance,” he said.

Similarly, Hijab, a college student, said she had to use stairs on almost a daily basis as escalators remained non-functional mostly at 4K-Chowrangi and Nazimabad No.1 stations.

In this regard, when Dawn contacted Muhammad Shafi Chachar, who is the general manager for infrastructure of the Green Line BRT, he said the escalators were not being repaired because there was an issue regarding import of their parts. Such parts were not available in Pakistan because there were a few outdoor escalators in the country, he added.

Besides, he said there were other issues also that pertained mainly to the BRT’s contract with National Logistics Cell (NLC), which were not getting resolved. “However, the parts would be available in a few days and after that, all escalators would be made fully functional,” said Mr Chachar.

Lack of toilets, drinking water

Citizens have also complained of a lack of toilet facilities at the BRT stations. Commuters, especially those travelling along with families and children, need to use washrooms/toilets but such facilities are not available.

Similarly, some complained of unavailability of drinking water at different stations. There are water coolers at all stations but often there is no water in them.

Therefore, citizens demanded something should be done in this regard.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2024