Asian Development Bank agrees to finance Red Line BRT project in Karachi

KARACHI: Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday agreed to support and finance Red Line, a route of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system project, starting from Manghopir to Numaish in Karachi.

In a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, a delegation of ADB led by its country director Werner E. Liepach agreed to the request of the Sindh government to finance and support the Red Line BRT project. A committee was constituted to shape up the financial and technical support.

The ADB country director said that funds have already been approved only formalities are to be completed.

This should be noted that ADB had backed out of the project in March 2015. While, the Sindh government had claimed to complete the project by 2016 end with its own fundings.

Enhancement of Public Private Partnership (PPP) and different other projects were also discussed in the meeting.

Other than the country director, the ADB delegation included Deputy Country Director Sunil Mitra, Head of Portfolio Donneth Walton, Head of Urban Unit Shaukat Shafi while the chief minister was assisted by Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Chairman P&D M. Waseem, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and Project Director Karachi Package Niaz Soomro.

The CM said that to overcome the problem his government with the support of ADB launched PPP mode of procurement for private sector participation to undertake investment in public sector projects.

To address the significant infrastructure requirements in an efficient, cost effective manner and to enable further private partnership in delivering infrastructure services, the Sindh government has requested the assistance of ADB to expand and improve PPP in the province.

Under the project, ADB would support the Sindh government to develop a more financially sustainable and fiscally responsible PPP project portfolio.

The project is estimated at $184.23 million where ADB, DFID (UK) and Sindh would share at a rate of 52 percent, 12.62 percent and 34.42 percent respectively.

The chief minister and the ADB country director also discussed $197.85 million Sindh Provincial Road Improvement Project under which six roads of 328 km would be rehabilitated.

The roads are Thull-Kandhkot 44 km of Rs2,065.25m, Sheranpur to Ratodero, 36 km of Rs1450m, Khyber to Sanghar via Tando Adam, 64 km of Rs2,802.09m, Sanghar to Mirpurkhas via Sindhri, 63 km at a cost of Rs2,485.35m, Tando Mohammad Khan to Badin, 67 km of Rs3,397.83m and Digri to Naukot, 54 kms of Rs3,358.28m.

GREEN LINE BRT

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over another meeting on Green Line BRT project at New Sindh Secretariat said that there was a dire need to make a comprehensive arrangement of parking, intersection and mobility of public at Numaish where all the BRT buses would stop and interchange.

The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Nasir Shah, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, PD/Principal Secretary to Governor Sualeh Farooqi, Secretary Transport Taha Farooqui, Chief Financial Officer of the Project Zubair Channa and other concerned officers.

The chief minister was told that the project starts from Power House Surjani Town and ends at Guru Mandir.

The environmental impact assessment report has been approved by SEPA. After completion of the project, Karachi will have its first-ever reliable, affordable, high speed mass transit system that would provide timely and conveniently service to the commuters, thereby 400,000 passengers with highest full day boarding at one station of 50,000 passengers.