China Railway, AM Associates start work on Rs 16 billion Red Line BRT project in Karachi
China Economic Net
Karachi: The Sindh provincial government of Pakistan has launched the construction work on Karachi’s Red Line Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project, a Joint venture (JV) of China Railway and AM Associates worth Pakistani Rs16 billion.
The Sindh provincial government of Pakistan will buy 250 buses from China soon for the project.
Trans Karachi – the operator of Karachi Breeze System, said on Saturday afternoon that the construction work on Karachi Bus Rapid Transit Red Line started. In the first phase, the route from Tank Chowk near Malir Halt to Safoora Chowrangi will be completed, it added.
In this connection, the traffic police have issued alternate routes to ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the construction site area.
According to a plan, the traffic police have advised people to avoid Tank Chowk to Saforra Chowrangi via Check Post No. 6, Malir Cantt route.
People coming from M9 motorway and Malir Cantt can take University Road opposite to Malir Cantt Check Post No. 5 to go towards Safoora Chowrangi. Similarly, the commuters coming from Tank Chowk can take Cantt Road if want to go towards University Road. Commuters coming from Model Colony can take the Cantt Road to go towards Pehalwan Goth.
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.
Twenty-four (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.
A biogas plant will be installed on a 31-acre land in Bhens Colony area of Karachi, which will be used for fulfilling the fuel needs of the bus service.
Earlier, Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon chaired a meeting to review progress on construction of Karachi’s Red Line 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.
The route of the 26-kilometer BRT Red Line project will connect Model Colony to Johar Complex en route Jinnah Avenue and Malir Cantonment 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.
