KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief, Monem Zafar Khan has said that the World Bank’s recent report on Karachi’s transport system paints a worrying picture, underlining serious shortfalls in urban mobility for the megacity’s growing population.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Monem Zafar said that the report exposes the significant challenges Karachi faces, particularly in public transport availability and infrastructure development.
“According to the World Bank, the city needs at least 15,000 buses to meet its public transport demands, but we currently have only a fraction of that,” he said.
He pointed out that while other cities like Lahore have seen projects like the E-train and rapid bus systems, Karachiites are largely dependent on three-wheelers and rickshaws due to limited public transport options.
Monem Zafar noted that although new bus initiatives are often announced, including promises of double-decker buses and improvements to bus corridors, progress remains limited. “On-ground reality does not match these announcements,” he said, adding that some of the buses launched under various projects are reportedly lying unused in depots due to maintenance or operational issues.
Referring to ongoing projects such as the Green Line and Red Line bus systems, he said these efforts have not yet translated into tangible relief for daily commuters. He added that roads along major corridors, including University Road, remain under construction for long periods, creating inconvenience for the public.
Monem Zafar also called for the revival and completion of earlier transport projects such as the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), and suggested revisiting the plans implemented during former city mayor Nematullah Khan’s tenure, which introduced the idea of a mass transit system.
He urged the authorities to conduct an audit of all buses brought to the city in recent years to determine their current status and ensure better accountability. “We need to know how many buses were procured, how many are operational, and what happened to the rest,” he said.
The JI leader concluded that improving Karachi’s transport network was essential not just for easing public hardship, but also for the overall economic and social development of the city. He expressed hope that the recommendations in the World Bank report would be taken seriously and translated into actionable policy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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