THE Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project was conceived with an important objective — a modern, efficient and affordable public transport system for the city. There is little doubt that Karachi desperately needs such infrastructure.

However, the prolonged construction and apparent mismanagement of the project have turned major sections of University Road into a source of daily hardship for thousands of citizens.

The impact is particularly severe on students. Every day, thousands of students, teachers and staff have to negotiate congested roads, diversions, dust, noise and unsafe pedestrian conditions to reach their respective institutions. What should be a routine journey to an educational institution has become a daily nightmare.

During my recent interaction with the students of Karachi University, their main grievance and demand was to have their transport problems resolved. The mis-management of the BRT project has made lives miserable. The residents of adjoining neighbourhoods are facing a lot of difficulties. Access to homes has been disrupted, traffic congestion has increased, and the quality of life has deteriorated. Commercial establishments, including hospitals all along the corridor, are also suffering badly. This is not what civic development needs to look like. This is nothing but misery for the people.

Development projects inevitably cause temporary inconvenience. The actual concern, however, is when ‘temporary’ disruption continues for years with no end in sight. The relevant authorities must immediately review the BRT project cons- truction strategy and accelerate the pace of work. Karachi’s citizens deserve better.

Nazim Haji
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2026