Karachi all set to get new fleet of modern buses

KARACHI: Former Sindh information and transport minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Wednesday said that a new fleet of buses which were purchased during the PPP government tenure is ready for dispatch from China.

The minister made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. He urged the caretaker Sindh government to take immediate action for timely delivery of buses.

“The new fleet of buses which we purchased is ready for dispatch from China. I hope caretaker sindh government will take immediate action for early and timely delivery so public will get benefit for best and economical travel in these hyper inflation days,” he said.

New fleet of buses which we purchased is ready for dispatch from China. I hope caretaker sindh government will take immediate action for early and timely delivery so public will get benefit for best and economical travel in these hyper inflation days. pic.twitter.com/2q1jAIko4G

— Sharjeel Inam Memon (@sharjeelinam) September 20, 2023

Karachi –Pakistan’s largest city is grappling with a severe shortage of passenger buses as just over 1,000 buses are currently operational in the port city, World Bank report showed.

This startling revelation was made by officials from the Sindh government’s transport department during a briefing to Caretaker Finance, Planning, and Development Minister Muhammad Younus Dagha on Karachi transport problems.

According to the report, presented before the interim transport minister, a total of 15,000 buses are needed for the comprehensive transport system of Karachi while currently only 1029 buses are operational on city roads including 240 buses of People’s Bus Service, 100 buses of BRT, and 689 old buses operated by private sector.

Besides, work is in progress on route feasibility for the procurement of 500 more buses for the province.

It was informed that in the light of the report of the World Bank, around 13000 more public transport buses were needed in Karachi to meet the gap.

During the briefing, the caretaker provincial minister Mohammad Younus Dagha directed authorities to encourage the private sector under public-private partnership projects to meet the huge gap in public transport for Karachi.

The caretaker minister was informed that a plan to provide easy loans to local private transporters through the establishment of an endowme