BRT Orange Line bus service inaugurated

Chief minister has released Rs1.5 billion for improvement of People’s Bus Service routes, says Sharjeel

KARACHI:

Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon along with Faisal Edhi inaugurated BRT Abdul Sattar Edhi Orange Line Buses on Saturday.

While talking to media after inauguration, the provincial minister said that Abdul Sattar Edhi buses are open for people of Karachi from today.

He said that Sindh government has fulfilled its commitment with the citizen of Karachi. The project has been completed by the government of Sindh with its own resources. He said that keeping in view the high inflation burden on the people, the fare of the orange line is kept low and it is fixed from Rs10 to maximum Rs20.

"The petroleum price sky rocket but the government wanted to provide maximum relief to people," said. He said that the project has been completed under the direction of Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah. The minister announced that soon another project in public transport sector will be launched.

He said that the Orange Line will be connected to the Green Line soon and with the completion. While responding to a question, he said that more than five thousand public transport vehicles are plying in Karachi.

Transporters have been offered to replace their old vehicles with new and modern buses. The Sindh government is ready to provide them with every facility in form of loans or subsidies. He said that if any investor wants to invest in the public transport sector, the Sindh government will provide them with every facility. The minister said that the Sindh government has chalked out plan to modernise the public transport facility not only for Karachi, but for all major cities of the province.

In response to another question, he said that apart from launching new public transport projects, the Sindh government is also working on the improvement of roads in the city. The Chief Minister Sindh has released Rs1.5 billion for the improvement of the routes of the People's Bus Service. He said that work on routes of People's Bus Service is underway in fast space. On this occasion, Provincial Labor Minister Saeed Ghani said that there has been a delay, but the project has been completed. Citizens should own these buses and take care of them.

If an attempt is made to damage these buses, it is a loss of the citizens. Faisal Edhi said that Karachi is in dire need of public transport. He congratulated the Sindh Government for launching another project after the People's Bus Service. He said that the facility of buses should be enhanced to remote areas of the city.

On this occasion, Provincial Labor Minister Saeed Ghani, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh Ahmed Ali Jan, Member of National Assembly of Pakistan Peoples Party Abdul Qadir Mandho Khel, Secretary Transport Abdul Haleem Shaikh, Managing Director Sindh Mass Transit Authority Captain (R) Altaf Hussain Sario and others were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2022.