Karachi all set to get first fleet of hybrid-electric buses

KARACHI: The decades-old public transport problem of Karachi inching towards some sort of mitigation as Sindh Minister for Transportation Awais Shah has revealed that the first batch of buses for the provincial government’s Peoples’ Bus Service project is ready to arrive in the metropolis. 

250 hybrid busses being manufactured by a Chinese company for the People’s Bus Service project for Karachi and other districts of Sindh province.

According to a post shared on Twitter by the company, the prototype buses are ready and successfully tested. The buses will arrive in Karachi by next month.

“Higer is proud to announce that prototype bus for Sindh Government project is ready and successfully tested. The first batch of the buses will be dispatched after China’s Spring festival.’

:#People‘s Bus Service #Project:
The wait is over. The buses for #karachi & #Larkana are ready & successfully tested. We promise to deliver #first class #transport system for the people of #Sindh.@sindhinfodepart @awais_shah01 @sattarisani @SindhGovt#china #Pakistan https://t.co/sChBkBOdih

— SINDH MASS TRANSIT AUTHORITY (@SMTA_GoS) January 27, 2022

In another post, the Sindh Mass Transit Authority said that buses for Karachi and Larkana are ready and successfully tested.

#Sindh Government People’s Bus Prototype being put togather in #China. These 250 #hybrid electric buses are being manufactured by @Higer_Bus Co. for #Sindh. pic.twitter.com/y0UDxppa9j

— Syed Awais Shah (@awais_shah01) January 8, 2022

“The wait is over. The buses for karachi and Larkana are ready & successfully tested. We promise  to deliver a first class transport system for the people of Sindh.”

Earlier, Murtaza Wahab had said that the bus project will become functional very soon and bring ease to the people of Karachi.

250 electric buses

Sindh Transport Minister Syed Awais Qadir Shah had said that the fresh supply of public transport vehicles would come from the national defence organisation — National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) — which would make first shipment of 50 buses by the end of January 2022.

These buses will initially operate on 29.5-kilometre route from Model Colony to Tower and on 33-kilometre from Nagan Chowrangi to Singer Chowrangi.

A bus depot would be set up near UP Mor over 6.7-acre area and in the second phase 200 buses would run on six different routes of Karachi and one in Larkana covering area of 10.3-kilometre.

Sindh Cabinet in September had approved the purchase of 250 hybrid buses for Sindh Intra city People’s Bus Service.

These buses will run in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpur Khas and Shaheed Benazirabad, the meeting was briefed, the cabinet told.