The federal government has accorded approval to a project to manage the operations of Green Line BRTS in first three years to transfer them to the Sindh government afterward. The federal government accorded approval to "Operationalization of Green Line BRTS and Installation of Intelligent Transport System Equipment" at the cost of Rs 10.956 billion in Central Development Working Party (CDWP) recently. Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited (SIDCL)-a federal government entity-would manage the operations of Green Line bus.
Under this project, Fleet of 65 Articulated Diesel hybrid (regenerating) air-conditioned buses (18 m) will be procured with capacity of each bus is 160+passengers (seating+standing) and carrying capacity of bus fleet is 300,000 passengers per day.
The first phase of the Corridor from Surjani up to Numaish has been completed and work on the Phase-II of the project from Numaish up to Municipal Park will be completed in the Current Financial Year 2019-20. Originally, the buses and their operation were to be completed by the Government of Sindh (GoS). However, during the visit of the Prime Minister to Karachi on 16th September, 2018 and upon request of the provincial, the S1DCL was directed to explore the option of operationalization of Green Line BRTS by procuring buses, installation of IITS and hiring of operating partners under PPP mode.
Subsequently, during another meeting held in the Prime Minister Secretariat on I8th March 2019, the prime minister approved the proposal of undertaking the operations of Green Line BRTS project for the initial years and then hand it over to government of Sindh.
With the approval of the competent authority and the Economic Affairs Division, the World Bank was engaged to provide transaction advisory services for the operations of Green Line BRTS Project including assistance in the preparation of technical RFP in Public Private Partnership mode for hiring of the Operator for the Green Line for a concession period of ten years (10 years + six months for mobilization).
The World Bank is also assisting SIDCL on different scenarios (cases) of financial model ensuring best international practice and most economic operational mechanism reducing subsidy clement by providing capital subsidy, ranging up to 100 percent, and other modes being built-in in the financial model.
To achieve the target, SIDCL will procure 65 Diesel hybrid (regenerating) 18.2 meter articulated buses, procurement and installation of IITS equipment along with automatic fare collection system with clearing house, security system and other ancillary infrastructure and hiring of Bus Operator, who will be responsible for operation and maintenance of buses for the period of 10 years from the date of operations; hiring of Station Managers and operational staff.