Blue Line BRT to be environmentally assessed

CM directs transport dept to conduct assessment, start project immediately

KARACHI:

The transport department will conduct an environmental assessment of the Blue Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in order for the project to be started via public-private partnership, directed Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah while presiding over a meeting at CM House on Wednesday.

The BRT was initially planned to be about 48 kilometres-long from Guru Mandir to Bahria Town via Teen Hatti, Liquatabad No 10, Sharae Pakistan, Sohrab Goth and the M-9, additionally connecting Jinnah International Airport via MM Alam Road to Bahria Town. As per the plan, the Blue Line BRT would share the route with the Green Line BRT from Guru Mandir to Merewether Tower. But the project is currently in limbo, as Bahria Town withdrew its ownership a few months ago.

“Now, the government has planned to build this road from Guru Mandir to Sohrab Goth,” an official in the transport department said.

The meeting was informed that the transport and mass transit department has obtained approval from the CM to develop the infrastructure component and has prepared the PC-1. “Initially, we estimated Rs18 billion for the project and sent the PC-1 to the planning and development department,” an official in transport department told The Express Tribune. 

The Sindh government has appointed an advisory consortium to validate the revised concept paper. As the overall route and infrastructure of the Blue Line BRT has changed, accordingly the financial and legal structure of the project has also been changed. According to the evaluation done by the consultants, the airport link road is to be deferred and BRT buses will be running in mixed traffic on the M-9. The chief minister directed the planning and development and transport and mass transit departments to submit their detailed recommendations and arrange a briefing so that it could be taken up.

The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Syed Nasir Shah, Planning and Development Chairperson Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to the CM Sohail Rajput, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi, Transport Secretary Saeed Awan, Mass Transit Director-General Mohammad Athar and various other officials.