Sindh CM wants Blue Line BRT design finalised by September

The project will connect Gurumandir with alAsif Square

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed on Tuesday the transport department to prepare a detailed design of the Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project by September so that work on the project through public private partnership (PPP) mode could be started in November this year.

The CM was presiding over a meeting on Blue Line BRT at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Transport and Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Planning and Development Chairperson Muhammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Transport Secretary Raheem Soomro, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi and officers of the Karachi Mass Transit Authority.

The transport minister informed the meeting that the Blue Line BRT project will start from Gurumandir and end at alAsif Square, Sohrab Goth.  The project will cost around Rs8 billion, he said.



The length of the project is 11.8 kilometres (km), out of which, 6.6 km will be elevated, said the transport secretary. There will be nine stations on the route out of which five will be elevated, he added. The secretary further informed that 357,000 is the estimated number of travellers who will use the BRT daily.

The CM set a deadline for the development of the infrastructure of the project and directed the transport minister to get the detailed design and bidding documents prepared by September, 2017, so that procurement could be made in November.



Meeting with DHA residents

The CM also met a delegation of the Defence Society Residents Association (DSRA)   body led by its president, Sharfuddin Memon. The residents discussed issues of the area with the CM.

The association complained of encroachments under the Gizri flyover. Mechanics have set up their shops under the bridge which is causing traffic jams, the delegation said, adding that the road from Gizri to Zamzama is also encroached upon by shopkeepers and has turned into a parking lot for trucks and dumpers. The CM issued orders to the relevant authorities to resolve the issue.