Making way: Commuters’ woes to end with ‘Yellow Line’

Yellow Line is dedicated bus lane for BRT system. Its 26km long & runs from Dawood Chowrangi, Landhi to Regal, Saddar.


Sohail Khattak December 11, 2013
Stay in line: 16km of the 26-km track will be specifically for the BRT and no other vehicle will be allowed on the lane. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI:


The much awaited and highly discussed bus rapid transit (BRT) system - the plan which many believe will relieve Karachi’ites from perspiring in traffic jams and being stuffed in decades-old rusty buses — is expected to kick off soon.


Yellow Line, one of the six BRT corridors proposed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) for the improvement of the Karachi’s public transportation, is among the projects which the provincial transport department will start without wasting more time - or at least that’s what they say.

“We have completed our work and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has given his verbal consent for the project,” said an official of the transport department who did not want to be named. “We are now waiting for him to sign the summary of the project which will give the go-ahead to the information department to give the tender of the project in media.”



The project will be run under public-private partnership and the pre-feasibility report of the project has already been carried out. The global auditing firm KPMG will handle the financial advisory of the project, National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) will look after the technical aspect and Mohsin Tayebaly and Company will manage the legal affairs.

“We expect that the chief minister will sign the summary within a week after which we will give an international tender of the project,” said Sindh Transport Minister Mumtaz Jakhrani.

What is the Yellow Line?

The Yellow Line is a dedicated bus lane for the BRT system of about 26-kilometre track, running from Dawood Chowrangi in Landhi to Regal Chowk, Saddar via Korangi Road, FTC, Shahrae Quaideen, Numaish and People’s Secretariat Chowrangi. Sixteen kilometres will be specifically for the BRT and no other vehicle will be allowed on the lane. Two separate flyovers will be constructed - one from Khayaban-e-Ittehad to Kala Pul and the other at Saddar Parking plaza to Regal Chowk. On Sharae Faisal the bus will move with the traffic.

The Jam Sadiq Ali Bridge at Korangi will be widened to eight lanes. It will have 24 proposed stations and 24 overhead bridges. The buses operating on an average run on 15 to 20-km per hour whereas the BRT is expected to have an average speed of 30km per hour.

“The condition of the city needs the BRT to start without any further delays,” said Anwer Baig, a consultant at the Sindh government’s transport and mass transit department. “If you [the authorities responsible for the project] don’t start the BRT, then the people travelling in the deplorable public transportation will not let you travel comfortably in your cars.”

The project will take two years to complete and will be run at a stretch for 10 years after which it will be expanded according to commuters’ needs, said Baig.

Payment to company which will construct the bus way and bus depots will be given according to pre-determined periods. The operator will maintain the buses and will be paid on per kilometre basis while the government will pay fixed money to the fare collector. The government will cover the gap between the revenue and payment if needed. “The project has no land encroachment and land acquiring problems and can be easily implemented,” said Baig.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12th, 2013.

COMMENTS (6)

omair shahid | 10 years ago | Reply

@Aftab: please let them start this first please stop put rocks on the way

Aftab | 10 years ago | Reply

Mumbai have Monorails. and they are talking about Buses.???? ;(

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