Peoples Bus Service in Sukkur from Feb 17: Sharjeel

Says Hyderabad to have pink buses from Feb 18, more routes to be added

KARACHI:

Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon has announced to formally launch the People's Bus Service (PBS) for the people of Sukkur on February 17 and Peoples Pink Bus Service (PPBS) in Hyderabad on February 18.

He said, increase in the number of buses on Route 1 as well as new routes of PPBS will be announced on February 20.

The minister made this announcement during a press conference in his office on Monday after a high-level meeting.

Elaborating on the decisions taken in the meeting regarding the bus service, he said that after Karachi, Hyderabad and Larkana, the people of Sukkur would also get the facility of modern and affordable bus service from February 17.

He said that the bus service's Route 2 in Karachi would be from Power Chowrangi North Karachi to Indus Hospital, Korangi via Nagan Chowrangi, Shafiq Mor, Gulshan Chowrangi, Jauhar Mor, COD, Drigh Road, Sharae Faisal, Shah Faisal Colony, Singer Chowrangi and Korangi No. 5.

Similarly, operation of pink buses would be launched on Route 10 from Numaish Chowrangi via MA Jinnah Road, Zaib-un-Nisa Street, Metropole, Teen Talwar, Do Talwar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Dolmen Mall, McDonald's up to Clock Tower at Sea View.

He added that the number of buses would be increased on the existing Route 1 of the bus service plying between Model Colony and Merewether Tower.

"Pakistan is among the few countries that have a separate bus service for women," he continued.

Sharjeel said that keeping in view the public transport problem, the Sindh government was focusing on a number of projects to provide relief to the people and the chief minister is personally monitoring these projects. In this regard, he said that the CM approached the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to further expand the People's Bus Service.

He mentioned that Pakistan's first electric bus service had also been launched in Karachi,

"Another big fleet of electric buses has arrived at Karachi port and soon these buses will be launched on new routes," he said. Electric buses are eco-friendly vehicles that consume no fuel and so these vehicles will not be an added source of pollution, he added.

In response to a question, the minister said that the Sindh government is constructing 2.2 million house.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2023.