KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah under Intra-City Bus project has approved Rs 195 million to start 32 buses on Shahrah-i-Faisal in the first phase and in the second phase buses would be started on five different routes.
He took this decision while presiding over a meeting on Monday here at CM House on Transport department to review the progress of Intra-City, Inter-City bus projects and BRTS Orange Line, said a press release.
The meeting was attended by Minister for P&D Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Minister Transport & Information Syed Nasir Shah, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Transport Saeed Awan and others.
Minister for Information & Transport Syed Nasir Shah briefing the CM said that the provincial government has earmarked Rs 2 billion to place them at Sindh Modarba limited to support subsidy requirements of the project over the period of five years.
There is debt equity ratio, means 15 per cent transporters' equity and 15 per cent equity to be shared by Sindh government in the form of an interest free loan.
The Sindh government has already signed agreement with Sindh Modarba Limited.
Nasir Shah said that the transport department has received the proposal from Daewoo Express limited which envisages to induct 288 vehicles on five routes with average fleet of 50 vehicles per route.
He added that the routes are Qayyumabad to Qasba Colony, Baldia to Quaidabad, Shah Faisal Colony to Fisheries, Landhi to Surjani and Landhi to Baldia.
The CM Sindh directed the Minister of Finance to start 32 Daewoo buses on long route of Shahrah-i-Faisal and then buses would be started on other routes.
Murad Ali Shah directed the Transport Minister to make necessary arrangements for inaugurating the bus service on Shahrah-i-Faisal on February 15.
"This is the target and you have to make all the agreements and other arrangements to start the intra-City bus service in Karachi," he said.
The CM Sindh also approved an amount of Rs 195 million so that project could be started.
Sindh Transport Minister, Syed Nasir Shah also briefing the CM Sindh on Intercity Bus project said that like intra City project, the Sindh government has also allocated Rs 2 billion and placed at the disposal of Sindh Mudarba for subsidy requirements of the project.
He said that the Daewoo Express, keeping in view the Sindh Mudarba limited, has also given a proposal to ply 134 vehicles on nine different routes.
The routes are Karachi to Hyderabad, Karachi to Sukkur, Karachi to Mirpurkhas, Karachi to Larkana, Karachi to Benazirabad, Karachi to Multan, Karachi to Dera Ghazi Khan, Karachi to Quetta and Sukkur to Quetta.
Nasir Shah said that the Daewoo has also proposed to partnering with nine independent sole proprietors.
Each sole proprietor would be eligible for Sindh Mudarba loan for the project.
The CM Sindh directed the minister to expedite the proposal and just after intra-city phase-I launching he would launch intercity bus project.
The CM Sindh was told that the total length of the project is 3.88 kilo meters with six bus stations, of them one would be elevated.
It would have a ridership of 50,000 passengers per day.
The two packages of the projects include package -1 starts from Town Administration (TMA) Orangi Town to Bacha Khan Flyover.
The package-2 starts from Bacha Khan Flyover to Jinnah University for Women, North Nazimabad.
The package-I costs Rs 643.35 million and its length is 1.38 kilo meters with two bus stations and one of them is elevated.
Presently, 42 per cent work has been done while its completion date is April 2018.
The package 2 is 2.5 kilo meters long with completion cost of Rs 496.76 million.
It would have four bus stations and its work has been done by 25 per cent.
The CM Sindh directed Minister transport to keep visiting both the packages of the project. "I want their completion by March," he said.
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