Karachi, January 29, 2018 (PPI-OT):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has under Intra-City Bus project has approved Rs195 million to start 32 buses on Shahrah-e-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. The meeting was attended by Minister for P and D Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Minister Transport and Information Syed Nasir Shah, Chairman P and D Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Transport Saeed Awan and others.
Minister for Information and Transport Syed Nasir Shah briefing the chief minister said that the provincial government has earmarked Rs2 billion to place them at Sindh Modarba Ltd to support subsidy requirements of the project over the period of five years. There is debt equity ratio, means 15 percent transporters’ equity and 15 percent 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 Ltd.
Mr Nasir Shah said that the transport department has received the proposal from Daewoo Express Ltd 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 chief minister directed the minister finance to start 32 Daewoo buses on long route of Shahrah-e-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-e-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 chief minister also approved an amount of Rs 195 million so that project could be started.
INTERCITY BUS PROJECT:
The Transport Minister, Syed Nasir Shah also briefing the chief minister on Intercity Bus project said that like intra City project, the Sindh government has also allocated Rs2 billion and placed at the disposal of Sindh Modarba for subsidy requirements of the project. There was same 70:30 debt equity ratio.
He said that the Daewoo Express, keeping in view the Sindh Modarba Ltd, 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. Mr Nasir Shah said that the Daewoo has also proposed to partnering with nine independent sole proprietors would apply reapply.
He added that under the sole proprietor would handle the equity site of the project and would own the buses while the Daewoo would be the operational partner and manage/operate the fleet. Each sole proprietor would be eligible for Sindh Modarba loan for the project. The chief minister directed the minister to expedite the proposal and just after intra-city phase-I launching he would launch intercity bus project.
BRTS Abdul Sattar Edhi Line (Orange Line):
The chief minister was told that the total length of the project is 3.88 km with six bus stations, of them one would be elevated. It would have a ridership of 50,000 passengers per day. There are two packages of the projects.
The 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 -1 costs Rs643.35 million and its length is 1.38 kms with two bus stations and one of them is elevated. Presently, 42 percent work has been done while its completion date is April 2018.
The package 2 is 2.5km long with completion cost of Rs496.76 million. It would have four bus stations and its work has been done by 25 percent. The chief minister directed Minister Transport to keep visiting both the packages of the project. “I want their completion by March 2018,” he said.
For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019 (Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk