KARACHI: Double-decker buses were introduced in Karachi on Wednesday, with Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon saying that they would be available to the public from January 1 (Thursday).

“Today marks the beginning of double-decker bus [services] in the city. They will be available to the public from tomorrow, and today, they will be tested [on the city’s road],” Memon, who also has the transport portfolio, said while speaking to the media at the inauguration of the bus service in Karachi.

Memon inaugurated the bus service along with Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

The development comes more than a year after the Sindh government announced the initiative in October 2024 for the city of over 23 million that has faced mobility issues for long.

Memon recalled that the Sindh government had promised to introduce double-decker buses in Karachi by December 2025, pointing out that today was December 31.

He further said the Sindh government aimed to provide transport facilities across the province in 2026, adding that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had also instructed to introduce “double-decker buses on every road in Karachi” in the coming year.

Yesterday, while announcing the launch of double-decker buses in the city, Memon said the buses would operate from Malir to Sharea Faisal. He had added that more double-decker buses would be brought to Karachi as these would help solve traffic problems.

His spokesperson, Hussain Mansoor, separately told Dawn that the buses would run between Zainab Market in Saddar and Model Colony. He further said that stops were designated for double-decker buses along this route at/near Malir Halt, airport, Colony Gate, Natha Khan Bridge, Drigh Road, Nursery, Baloch Colony and Finance and Trade Centre.

The spokesperson added that a one-way ticket for commute via the double-decker bus would cost between Rs80 and Rs120.

Meanwhile, a handout issued by Memon’s office said the double-decker bus service was “being introduced again for Karachiites after 65 years”.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he said new routes for electronic buses would also be designated in Sindh, including Karachi, from next week, the minister said.

Acknowledging that public transport was a necessity, he expressed the Sindh government’s intention to facilitate the public in this regard. Without specifically mentioning any of the bus services launched by the government, he said these transport facilities were being provided at a subsidised rate.

“The Sindh government pays that subsidy to facilitate passengers,” the minister said, further claiming that over 125,000 commuters were using transport services being provided under the People’s Bus Service project in Karachi daily.

In response to a question about criticism of the poor condition of roads, Memon said the Sindh cabinet had allocated more than Rs9 billion out of the budget just for roads in industrial areas to address complaints. He said work on several other projects was also under way, particularly mentioning the Shahrah-i-Bhutto Expressway in Karachi.

When asked whether double-decker buses’ routes would also cover tourist spots in Sindh to present a “positive image” of the province, the minister replied, “Yes, definitely. We aim to cover not just tourist spots but every road.”

‘A gift from CM’

A handout from the Sindh CM’s office termed double-decker buses “a gift” from the provincial chief executive.

The statement quoted CM Murad as saying that Karachiites had the right to better transport facilities and that the new bus service would make commuting easier for them.

“The city is now not just running, it’s progressing. Today, a bus has started running, and tomorrow, the city will transform.

“Better transport facilities for Karachi is not a mere promise, it is now becoming a reality,” the CM was quoted as saying.

He further said that better facilities strengthen cities, expressing the ambition to make Karachi join the ranks of modern cities.