Shuttle service to connect Orange and Green Lines

KARACHI:

Sindh Senior Minister for Excise, Taxation, Narcotics Control, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon presided over a high-level meeting of the Transport Department on Thursday to discuss projects aimed at improving inter-city commute.

Secretary Transport Asad Zaman, MDSMTA Kamal Dayo, Acting CEO of Trans Karachi Saima Mohsin, officials of Red Line, Orange Line, and Yellow Line, an international Consultant and others attended the meeting which focused on multiple projects, including Orange Line and Green Line that will be connected by a shuttle service to Tower right after Eid-ul-Fitr.

The minister demanded of the federal government to provide 300 buses worth Rs18 billion as promised under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) while he alleged that work on the Red Line BRT service was delayed due to the negligence of the caretaker government.

Sharjeel stated that the work on the Red Line BRT was resuming soon with the efforts of all stakeholders and asserted completing the project at the earliest.

He further shared about the Sindh government’s plan to start inter-city bus service with initial 500 buses purchased for the convenience of the people under the inter-district transport project.

Highlighting the Yellow Line bus service project, Sharjeel hoped to benefit commuters soon. He added that the provincial government was also planning to operate buses from Karachi to Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas to Hyderabad, Larkana to Sukkur, and Larkana to Qamber Shahdadkot.

Earlier in a meeting with the top officers of related departments, Sharjeel ordered measures and reforms in the public transport and the E&T departments.

Memon instructed E&T authorities to make the tax recovery system efficient and orderly. He called an important meeting of E&T to take important decisions.

The minister said that no effort should be left in providing the best travel facilities to the people. He gave instructions that the best travel facilities should be ensured to the public in the holy month of Ramazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2024.