KARACHI: Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has announced that around 140 buses which were brought to Karachi under the Peoples Bus Service project will begin a test run on June 3.
In a statement, the minister said that buses will begin test run on one of the seven proposed routes in the metropolis.
The proper commercial operation of the Sindh government-controlled bus service will start within the next few weeks, he said, adding that 100 more new air-conditioned buses will arrive by June 20 from China.
“We are going to start test run of these city buses and for that purpose we have decided to ply them on Route No 1. After the test run on first route, which covers 29.5-km area from Model Colony to Tower, the same exercise will be followed on all other six other routes,” he added.
The other six routes include the areas from North Karachi to Indus Hospital [Korangi] distance 32.9-km; Nagan Chowrangi to Singer Chowrangi [Korangi Industrial Area] 33-km; North Karachi to Dockyard 30.4-km; Surjani Town to PAF Masroor 28.2-km; Gulshan-i-Bihar [Orangi Town] to Singer Chowrangi 29km and Mosamiyat to Baldia Town 28.9-km.
Peoples Bus Service project
The Sindh government Peoples’ Bus Service is a project separate from the network of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines.
In the 1st phase of the project, 50 buses will operate in the city of Karachi. These buses will initially operate on Route 1 (29.5 KMs – Model Colony to Tower) and Route 3 (33 KMs – Nagan chowrangi to Singer Chowrangi) in Karachi.
In the 2nd Phase, 200 buses will operate on 6 routes of Karachi and 1 route 10.3 KMs) of Larkana.