KARACHI, May 25: Some 250 CNG buses will start plying on the city’s arteries from next month with the arrival of first batch of the buses from Holland. This was stated by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, while talking to newsmen at his office on Friday. He said that all steps to ease out the growing problem of transport had been finalised and with the arrival of 250 CNG buses the transport culture of the city would change as some 150 passengers could commute in a CNG bus at a time.

The nazim said that four terminals for CNG buses would be made in different city areas where under the public-private partnership programme four CNG filling stations would also be established.

However, he made it clear that all buses on existing routes would continue plying and gradually be reduced with the induction of more CNG buses. “We do not want to disturb the existing transporters but they have to modernise their fleet of buses,” he added.

He maintained that at least 3,000 buses were required in the metropolis and the government would fully cooperate with all the firms and individuals keen on making investments in the city’s transport sector.

With regard to the Bus Rapid Transport system, the nazim said that the city government would construct three corridors from Surjani Town to Merewether Tower, from Orangi Town to Board Office Nazimabad from where it would merge into the first corridor, and from Gurumandir to Cantt Railway Station. He said that all the three corridors would be completed in 18 months and work on these projects would begin in a month.

MEETING: Mr Kamal held a meeting with the nazims and naib nazims of city towns to review the process of granting ownership rights to katchi abadis.