KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday directed officials concerned to explore options to get funding from donor agencies for the procurement of 500 electric buses for Karachi.

Presiding over a meeting of different departments, he reviewed the progress of the projects in pipeline and some new projects so that they could be launched with the help of donor agencies.

The meeting, held at the CM House, was attended among others by Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon, Energy Minister Nasir Shah, Industries Minister Jam Ikram, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and Chairman P&D Najam Shah.

The chief minister observed that the city’s public transport system was overwhelmed by its growing population and outdated fleet, resulting in overcrowded, inefficient, and environmentally harmful services.

300 diesel hybrid buses to be procured for five divisions, transport minister tells CM

He said that the induction of electric buses and pink buses under the Peoples Bus Service had made a difference but even then a bigger fleet of buses was required to resolve the public transport issues of the city.

The transport minister told the CM that the transport department had proposed the induction of 500 fully electric buses into the city’s transportation network, adding that the move would enhance the commuter experience, reduce traffic congestion, and significantly lower air pollution.

The CM said that the negotiations with the donor agencies for adding buses to the city were already in progress and hoped that the provincial government would secure required funds from them.

The chief minister said that the transport system across the province was in dire need of modernisation and expansion to meet the growing demands of its population. “As the province continues to develop economically and socially, the current public transport offerings struggle to keep pace,” he said.

The transport minister said that his department was working on a proposal aiming to procure 300 diesel-hybrid buses, allocating 60 buses to each of the five divisions of the province, to enhance connectivity, improve environmental standards, and ensure a reliable and efficient mode of transport for all residents. He said 60 buses would be given to each Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad.

300 EV buses

Another project of procurement of 300 EV buses for intercity transportation in the province was discussed in the meeting. The transport minister told the CM that 300 diesel-hybrid/EV buses for intercity transportation would run for connecting divisional headquarters across the province.

The CM said that the initiative should provide a cost-effective, safer, and environmentally friendly transport option for the public, countering the fare hikes imposed by private operators and addressing safety concerns.

Sharjeel Memon said that under the plan, 60 EVM buses would be given to Karachi, 50 each to Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad and 40 to Mirpurkhas.

Yellow Line BRT

The transport minister told the CM that private operators would be offered to finance, procure, supply, operate buses and maintain various systems and provide related services for the Yellow Line BRT project.

The CM directed the transport and PPP unit to complete the feasibility by the end of Nov 2024 so that the project could be taken up.

The meeting also discussed the West Karachi Recycled Water Project-I (WKRWP) that envisages treating 35 MGD wastewater and supplying 27 MGD approximately industrial-grade water to industries in SITE Karachi.

The CM said that the project would supply water to the industrial area, reducing their dependency on freshwater which was needed elsewhere in the city. He added that it would also enhance environmental sustainability by discharging treated water into the sea.

He also directed the local government department to relaunch the project with a revised transaction structure by Nov 24 so that donor agencies could be approached for funding.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2024