'Work on country's biggest BRT project to kick-off in Karachi from March'

KARACHI: Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah said on Thursday that construction work on Karachi’s Red Line BRT project would start from next year in March, ARY News reported.

While talking to media here in Karachi, the transport minister admitted that the public transport sector was neglected in past but this time the provincial government was working over to resolve public transport issues in the city.

“Karachi’s Red Line BRT would be the country’s largest project and construction work on the project would start from next year in March 2020,” he added.

It may be noted that unlike other transport projects in Karachi, the Red Line BRT has been included in Prime Minister’s Karachi Transformation Plan.

Earlier on Dec 12, the Sindh transport department had finalized proposed plan for the restoration of provincial mass transit. The proposed transport plan laid out under the supervision of transport minister Awais Qadir includes running 200 CNG buses across Karachi routes for which Sindh government will bear the funding.

READ: Sindh cabinet takes major decisions for KCR, CNG buses, Aman ambulances

It was told that the largest plan of public transport Red Line is proposed to be on the ground soon with the collaboration of Asian Development Bank within the next two months.

Red Line BRT project

The Red Line will span 26 km from Safoora to Tower, covering 43 stations. It is expected to have an average daily ridership of 625,000 passengers.

The route of the 26-kilometer BRT Red Line project will connect Model Colony to Johar Complex en route Jinnah Avenue and Malir Cantt while the buses will run through University Road, Hassan Square and Numaish roundabout.

It would be the first-ever transport project to be run without any subsidy by the government, whereas, a wide cycling track will also be built along with the bus route.