Work on Karachi’s Red Line BRT project to begin next month

KARACHI: Construction work on Karachi’s BRT Red Line project would start in December this year, according to Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon.

According to details, a high-level meeting presided over by Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon, reviewed the work of shifting of infrastructure of the Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd, K Electric, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL).

The city administration has asked the gas, power, water and other utilities to expedite the shifting of their respective pipelines and other infrastructure on the way of Red Line bus rapid transit (BRT) project.

The Karachi commissioner told the meeting that 250 “state-of-the-art” bio-hybrid buses will run under Red Line BRT project to provide people with a zero-emission mass transit system.

In August this year, the Sindh government had awarded the contract for the civil work of the much-awaited Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project to be constructed in Karachi.

The contract signing ceremony for the design and construction supervision of the RED Line BRT corridor was held in Karachi.

Talking to the media after the contract signing ceremony, Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir had said that the Red Line BRT project would be constructed with the help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the share of the Sindh govt in the construction of the transport project would be 70pc.

Red Line BRT

The Red Line will span 26 km from Safoora to Tower. 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.

24 stations would be constructed on this line which will run from Malir Halt to Numaish via Model Colony, Safoora Goth, King Cottages, Met Office, NED University, Safari Park, Nipa, Urdu University, Masjid Baitul Mukarram, Civic Centre, Askari Park, Dawood University and Society Office.

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