Sindh govt, ADB decide to launch RBT Red Line project

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that his government has worked out plans to construct Southern bypass and Red Line Rapid Bus Transport (RBT) project in Karachi and Hyderabad.

This he said while holding a meeting with Asian Development Bank (ADB) eight-member delegation led by its Country Director Ms Xiaohong Yang, said a statement issued here on Thursday.

The chief minister was assisted by provincial ministers, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Syed Nasir Shah, Imdad Pitafi, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Education Aziz Uqaili, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Works Aijaz Memon, Secretary Transport Raheem Soomro and others.

Murad said that the ADB was one of the most important partners of Sindh government in terms of infrastructure development, transport, education and health.

Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem briefing the meeting said that Red Line RBT project had been planned to launch from Model Colony to Numaish via University road.

This was one of the important corridor for which the government had almost completed all the formalities such as development of Mass Transit Authority, induction of necessary staff and more recruitment is also in the pipe line.

Minister Transport Nasir Shah said that the Sindh government was developing Orange Line RBT and the federal government was constructing Green Line.

The Chief Minister said that with the assistance of ADB Rs15,559 million 328 kilometer roads were being constructed.

Thul to Kandhkot Road, Sheranpur to Ratodero Raod and Digri to Naukot Road would be completed shortly while work on the roads like Khyber to Snaghar via Tando Adam, Sanghar to Mirpurkhas Via Sindhri and Tando Mohammad Khan to Badin were in progress.

The Chairman P&D proposed to construct a bypass at Hyderabad to cater to the traffic coming from Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Badin for national highway towards Sukkur and upcountry.

The chief minister thanked the ADB for their support for Flood Emergency Reconstruction Project under which the damaged road infrastructure was developed.