Poor daily ridership of BRT worries CM

Baqar told that only 50,000 people use this service for daily commute

KARACHI:

Sindh’s Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has directed officials to expedite paperwork for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project ahead of the forthcoming CPEC-related Joint Working Group meeting. He issued the directives during a comprehensive review of various projects within the Transport & Mass Transit Department.

During the meeting, which was attended by Chairman P&D Shakil Mangnejo, PSCM Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, and officials from the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, CM Baqar also emphasised the need to take effective measures to boost ridership on both the Green Line and Orange Line projects.

Transport Secretary Asad Zamin provided an update on the KCR project, stating that the feasibility study had been successfully completed. The KCR project is envisioned as a primary mass transit corridor to enhance the overall public transportation system. Funding is expected to come from CPEC, with implementation, execution, and operation managed by the Karachi Urban Transport Company (KUTC).

It was noted that the KCR project had been discussed in the 10th Joint Working Group (JWG) forum in September between Pakistan and the Chinese delegation. The Chinese side responded positively, assuring necessary approvals in a timely manner.

The federal government had requested the Sindh government to update and revise the KCR framework agreement. The CM instructed the Transport Department to finalise the framework agreement within the next three days and report back to him. He also expressed his intention to engage with the federal government regarding the issuance of a sovereign guarantee for the project’s loan.

CM Baqar was informed that the BRT Green Line project had been operational since December 2021. Covering a distance of 20.9km, the BRT system currently operates with 80 buses on a dedicated route, with an average daily ridership of 55,000. The CM expressed concerns about the project’s ridership, considering the number of buses and the length of the route.

The officials explained that once other BRT lines, such as the Yellow Line and additional feeder routes, become operational, the ridership for the BRT Green Line is expected to increase significantly, reaching 150,000 to 200,000 daily.

Regarding the BRT Orange Line, which spans 3.8 km with 20 buses on the main trunk, the CM was informed that its current ridership stands at 3,000 per day. In response, the CM directed the Transport Department to explore opportunities to integrate the Orange Line with the Green Line to enhance convenience for commuters and boost ridership.

The CM entrusted the Transport Department with the task of integrating the Orange Line with the Green Line and exploring strategies to extend its route to improve its viability. Baqar stated his intention to chair another meeting to review the progress of the integration process.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2023.