People’s Bus Service: CM says six more routes to be functional within two days

KARACHI: Two routes of People’s Bus Service have been operationalised so far while six more would be functional within next two days and the infrastructure of four remaining routes was also being improved.

This was stated during a meeting at the CM House chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by Minister Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon, Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon, Secretary Local Government Najam Shah, Secretary Transport Haleem Shaikh, DIG Traffic Ahmed Nawaz, MC KMC Syed Afzal, DG KDA Mohammad Ali Shah, Chief engineer CB Malir, Bashir Mirjat and Kashif Khan of SMTA, and Amir Shah and Shoaib Rafiq of NRTC.

The chief minister reviewed issues of different routes the service and directed the minister transport to start 30-kilometer Route No. 9 from Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Malir Cantt from Wednesday (July 20).

“The buses are available, and the route is clear, therefore the service must start at earliest in the public interest,” the CM said.

Route No.9 would start from Gulshan-e-Hadeed, via N-5, Quaidabad, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Malir Halt, Jinnah Avenue, Malir Cantt, Check post 6 and check post 5.

Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon while briefing the chief minister said that the Route No. 1 (Malir to Towner) was 27 km long where 37 buses were plying. He added that the route was operational and has attracted a large number of commuters.

The route starts from Tower, Metropole, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Malir Halt and Khokhrapar. The Transport Minister said that a section of 1.5 km road at Mehran Depot was in shambles and needed to be reconstructed so that the bus could reach Khokhrapar easily. At this the chief minister directed Minister Local Government Syed Nasir Shah to get the road reconstructed by DMC Korangi.

The CM was informed that the Route-2 (North Karachi to Korangi Crossing) was 30-km long where 38 buses were operating.

The route starts from North Karachi Powerhouse via Nagan Chowrangi, Rashid Minhas Road, Drigh Road, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Korangi-5, 12000 Road Korangi Crossing. Minister Transport said that at two different locations at Korangi Crossing patchwork of the road was urgently required. At this the CM directed the local government department to repair the road through DMC Korangi on urgent basis.

The CM was informed that the Route-3 (North Karachi to Nasir Jump) was a 38 km route where 38 buses would be operationalised from July 22.

The route starts from Powerhouse via Ajmer Nagri, Nagan Chowrangi, Shaharahe Noorjahan, Nazimabad Eidgah, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Civic center, Karsaz, Shahrah-e-Faisal, FTC, Korangi Road, Qayyumabad, 8000 road, Shan Chorangi to Nasir Jump.

Route-6 (Orangi Town to Singer Chowrangi) would also be operationalised on August 22, said Sharjeel Memon and added that in Orangi, start of the route, a portion of the road has developed crates during the recent heavy rains and was being repaired.

It was pointed out that the portions of the road from Ajmer Nagri to Shahrah-e-Noorjahan needed to be renovated. The chief minister issued directives for the repair of the road on urgent basis, meanwhile the route would be made functional from July 22.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022