KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a meeting on BRTs, Yellow Line and Red Line decided to construct an alternate bridge at Jam Sadique bridge and acquire 32 acres of land at Cattle Colony for the installation of biogas plant at Bhains Colony. The meeting was attended by Minister Transport Sharjeel Memon, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Finance Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary LG Najam Shah, Secretary Transport Haleem Shaikh, and others.
Minister Transport Sharjeel Memon briefing the chief minister said that the overarching objective of the project was to improve mobility, accessibility, and, safety along the Yellow BRT corridor alignment. Mr Memon told the CM that the BRT Yellow Line project was being launched with the assistance of the World Bank for Rs61 billion. He added that it was a 2km main corridor right from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish and would have two depots, one at Dawood Chowrangi and other at Christian Colony.
According to Mr. Sharjeel, BRT will have 28 stations, including six underpass stations, nine underpasses, two U-Turns and two-bridges. He disclosed that the BRT Yellow Line will have 268 diesel hybrid buses with regular ridership of 300,000 per day. It was pointed out that BRT Yellow Line will have 80-100 km off-corridor road facilities which needed to be improved.
Mr Shah directed the P and D and Transport dept to finalize the alignment of Jam Sadiq Bridge alternate as a right of way of the Yellow Line so that work on the proposed bridge could be started. He added that he had assured the World Bank team that the remaining formalities of the bridge and the overall project would be finalized at the earliest to launch the project.
Transport Minister Sharjeel Memnon told the CM that the Consultancy Contract for procurement of consulting services for the preparation of the detailed design has been awarded. He added that the consultants have submitted technical reports which were being reviewed. The chief minister was told that the Yellow Line need 10 acres of land for BRT Yellow Line Depot for which the Cm directed the chief secretary to arrange the land in the Gulshan Iqbal area.
Red Line: The chief minister was told that the work on BRT Red Line was in progress on a war footing. Sharjeel Memon told the CM that the work on the development of the infrastructure of Red Line would be completed by mid of 2024. He raised the issue of the installation of a Biogas plant for Redline at Cattle Colony. The CM directed the local govt dept to arrange 32-acre land at Colony so that plant could be installed.