Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed said the bus rapid transit facility could solve the transport problems in Karachi.
He said the Sindh government and KMC had decided to start RBTS “yellow line” as a pilot project on a 22 kilometers route from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish Chowrangi and Lucky Star via 8,000 road Korangi and FTC, said a statement issued by the KMC here on Wednesday.
He said this project will be executed under public private partnership mode where daily ridership is about 7,00,000 per day. The proposed RBTS would cater to the need 13,000 passengers per hour per direction, he added.
The first meeting of the standing committee was held on July 30 in the committee room of finance department and attended by the Administrator Karachi Muhammad Hussain Syed, Director General Public Private Partnership Unit Sohail Rajput, Director General Karachi Mass Transit Cell Rasheed Mughal, and others.
The standing committee on this occasion accorded the approval to go ahead for publishing the expression of interest (EOI). Besides approved draft RFQ documents to invite proposals from reputable and experienced parties to prepare a feasibility report covering technical, financial, economical, legal and environmental aspects along with transaction advisory services for the bus rapid transit system (RBTS) “Yellow line” under public private partnership mode.
Muhammad Hussain Syed emphasized the need and necessity of transit facility.
Later on DG, KMTC, Rasheed Mughal in his presentation briefed about the city’s demographic pattern, travel demand trend, JICA study recommendation for transit project and projected cost of infra-structure and various system.
The DG also informed about the features of RBT system, its components w.s.r to IT infrastructure including signal priority, automated ticketing system, bus information system and command & control system.
He further explained that RBTS “yellow line” would be a 22 km route from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish Chowrangi and Lucky Star via 8000 Road Korangi and FTC.
The feasibility and transaction structure of RBTS would enable KMTC, KMC to make an informed decision which shall ensure an affordable, sustainable and replicable system.
The committee also constructed a sub-committee under the chairmanship of DG, KMTC for evaluation of the RFQ documents. The meeting was further informed that JICA had prepared a mass transit network for Karachi with 2030 vision suggesting 2 metro system lines and 6 RBT lines, besides KCR revitalization program.
JICA has also prepared feasibility study of two RBTS lines (Green line-Surjani to Jama Cloth market and red line-model colony to Regal Chowk via Safoora Goth, university road) and pre-facility of blue line from Sohrab Goth to tower.
