KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan today inaugurated the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit project in Karachi. The project seems to be a ray of hope for the people of Karachi who are facing a messy public transport system in the city. The greenline bus service will be opened for general public from Dec 25, 2021.
The premier Imran Khan was accompanied at the ceremony by senior officials, including Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and federal Planning Minister Asad Umar.
PM Khan also visited a bus station, where he inspected the infrastructure and also received a briefing on how the ticketing system works.
Work on the Rs16.85 billion federal government-funded bus project had begun after then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated it in February 2016 by performing the groundbreaking.
Later, the project was extended by another 10 kilometres as initially sought by the Sindh government and the estimated cost crossed the figure of Rs24 billion.
The project was estimated to be completed by the end of 2017, but kept getting new deadlines. Since the launch of the scheme, the battered roads on either side of the route have turned into a great source of nuisance for commuters and for the shopkeepers doing their businesses.
The second and final consignment of 40 buses for the Green Line project arrived in the city on Oct 21, raising the number of buses to 80, rekindling citizens’ hope that Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the metropolis was set to be launched. It is supposed to facilitate travel of approximately 300,000 passengers daily.
The first batch of 40 buses had arrived in the city on Sept 19 which the planning minister had referred to as a “ray of hope” and “milestone”, calling it the beginning of modern public transport service for Karachiites after a long gap of 40 years.
