Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Memon on Friday announced that new electric vehicle (EV) bus routes will be launched in Karachi ahead of Eid al-Fitr to further improve public transport in the metropolis.
The announcement was made during a meeting of the Transport and Mass Transit Department chaired by the provincial minister, to review measures aimed at strengthening the city’s public transport network.
During the meeting, authorities also approved the addition of more double-decker buses and EV buses to the fleet, while discussing several steps to enhance overall transport services for commuters.
Sharjeel Memon said the new EV bus routes in Karachi will begin operating next week, with the first route running from Gulshan-e-Iqbal to Tower.
He added that after Eid, the EV bus service will gradually expand to other districts across Sindh, including Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Sukkur, and Shikarpur.
The minister said the expansion of the Peoples Bus Service to additional cities aims to provide affordable and quality travel facilities to a larger number of citizens.
He assured that all public transport initiatives will remain a priority for the provincial government and will be implemented efficiently.
Officials from the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) also briefed the meeting on road infrastructure challenges affecting the smooth operation and efficiency of bus services.
Sharjeel Memon said issues faced on the Peoples Bus routes would be resolved in coordination with relevant departments, adding that the Sindh government is working on improving major roads in Karachi on a priority basis.
He further said that after Eid, Sindh Bank, the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF), and the Sindh Mass Transit Authority will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the expansion of EV bus services in the province.
Karachi traffic plan for Ramzan
The Karachi traffic authorities earlier announced a comprehensive plan to tackle the increasing traffic in the city during the pre-iftar hours.
According to the DIG Traffic particular special restrictions applied to the traffic will be implemented daily to facilitate the free movement of vehicles mainly in the evening.
Major roads will not allow water tankers between 4:00 pm and 6:30 pm to reduce the pressure on traffic before iftar.
Under the revised traffic plan strict action will be taken against illegal parking road side encroachments, pushcarts and rickshaws causing obstruction.
Additional traffic personnel will be brought to the busy intersections and commercial centers to keep a check on the chaos of vehicles.
Senior officers will be actively involved in the operation with SSPs monitoring the traffic flow on the ground while DSPs are in charge of the coordination from the control room.
Authorities have also declared a zero tolerance policy on vehicles and motorcycles which don’t have number plates.
To reduce congestion in the shopping areas rickshaws will not be allowed inside the major markets during Ramzan. In addition 26 Qingqi Rickshaw routes have been temporarily restricted.
Traffic officials said that the main objective of the plan is to abile citizens to reach their homes in time to break their fast without unnecessary delays on their way to iftar.
Also read: Islamabad Expressway to get major traffic relief project
