KARACHI: While reviewing the performance of the recently launched KMC-People’s Bus Service on the Tower-Quaidabad route, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said the route of CNG buses is being extended up to Gulshan-i-Hadeed and Steel Town on the demand of area residents.

Also, he said, another fleet of 32 CNG buses, which were being reconditioned at present, would be run between Surjani and Saddar via Sohrab Goth.

The decisions were taken by the chief minister while presiding over a meeting, which was held at CM House to review the performance of the 32 CNG bus fleet a week after its launch on the Saddar-Malir route, on Thursday.

The meeting also reviewed the pace of work on other transport projects namely Green Line, Yellow Line and Orange Line corridors. It was decided that the projects would be made operational during the current financial year.

Earlier briefing participants in the meeting about the experience of running the first fleet of KMC-Peoples Bus Service, Sindh Transport Secretary Taha Farooqui said the fleet was operating successfully that encouraged the authorities to bring the remaining 32 buses on the road within the next six weeks.

At present, he added, the buses were being repaired and reconditioned to make them available for commuters.

About other projects, the secretary said that PC-I of the Green Bus service had already been submitted to the planning and development department which would forward it to the federal government. He explained that the federal government was sponsoring this project.

Work on the Yellow Line Bus corridor project, which was to be implemented under a public-private partnership basis, was expected to begin in December with the award of a contract, the officer told the participants.

He added that the Orange Line Bus corridor — Secondary Board Office, Nazimabad, to Banaras Chowrngi Orangi Town — would be made functional before the closing of the financial year. The chief minister directed the secretary that 18 of the remaining 32 buses, which were being reconditioned at present, be operated from Surjani to Saddar and from Sohrab Goth to Saddar.

Expressing his satisfaction over the progress, the chief minister said the success of KMC People’s Bus Service could be gauged from the fact that people from different parts of the city had started asking for extending this service up to their respective localities also.

He also said work on the Orange Line Bus corridor be expedited for which Rs3 billion had been made available so that its contract was awarded by December.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2014