Mass transit system: ‘The only solution to Karachi’s traffic woes’

An efficient mass transit system (MTS) is the only solution to the transportation problems in the city, said experts.


Express February 14, 2011

KARACHI: An efficient mass transit system (MTS) is the only solution to the transportation problems in the city, said experts.

Officials of the Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC), social workers, residents and environmentalists had gathered at a consultative meeting to discuss the ‘Social Environment Study for Karachi Transportation Improvement Project’ at Taimuria Library on Sunday. The discussion was moderated by environmentalist Saquib Ejaz Hussain.

This project is being undertaken by the KMTC in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“The first phase is to conduct a study and develop a transportation master plan for the project,” said JICA study team leader Minoru Shibuya. The second phase will be the implementation.

This project will help in the development of the Karachi Urban Transport Master Plan for year 2030. The validation and screening for the project has already been identified under the Karachi Special Development Package 2020, Transport Section. A subcomponent of the study, which covers social environment study, is being conducted by the JICA team through Environmental Management Consultants (EMC), Karachi.

“The mass transit system can only succeed if all stakeholders, especially the residents of Karachi, join hands with the city government,” said KMTC director-general Malik Zaheerul Islam.

EMC social environment study’s team leader Syed Nadeem Arif explained how their report will evaluate the impacts of the proposed system on the social environment of the six corridors under study.

Students from Karachi University pointed out that the transport mafia is the main hurdle in the implementation of transport projects in Karachi. If there are any issues of resettling displaced people, they should be resolved now, advised a student. Press Release

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2011.

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