Public transport: 16 revamped CNG buses to start operating in Karachi from today

KARACHI:

A fleet of 16 refurbished CNG buses will start operating in the city from today (Wednesday) from Surjani Town to Merewether Tower, announced Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) spokesperson Bashir Ahmed Sadozai on Tuesday.

Earlier in September 2014, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah issued directions to start operating the buses within weeks, however the deadline was not met due to the lack of funds, said a transport department official.



"The maintenance contractor of the buses is a foreign company that failed to repair the buses on time," said Sadozai. "It cost millions of rupees to repair these electronic buses, which has an alternative ignition system of a card in it as well to control different functions." Sadozai added that the engineers and spare parts of these expensive buses were brought from Korea.

These 16 buses will be operated by KMC until they are auctioned to a contractor, revealed Sadozai. "This is what the government can do," he said. "It [government] bought and repaired these buses and fixed the fare of Rs20 but the government will not run them itself." A fleet of 11 other buses is expected to operate on a new route for CNG buses soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2015.