Karachi’s ongoing unannounced load shedding has begun to disrupt the city’s urban transport network, with electric bus services partially affected due to prolonged power outages.
According to media reports, normal operations on several routes are experiencing difficulties due to the power shortage.
The administration of the People’s Bus Service stated that electricity supply to the Mehran Depot has remained suspended for the past three days, affecting the charging process of electric buses.
To minimise inconvenience for passengers, the administration has temporarily deployed hybrid buses on various routes as an alternative to electric vehicles (EVs). According to the administration, the EV-1 route operates between Malir Cantt and Sea View, while the EV-3 route runs from Malir Cantt to Nishtar.
Similarly, the R-1 Pink Bus service operates between Khokhrapar and Dockyard. All of these routes are managed from the Mehran Depot and primarily rely on electric buses.
Bus service officials have warned that if the power supply to the Mehran Depot is not restored soon, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain operations on these routes. The administration may be forced to suspend services, potentially affecting thousands of daily commuters.
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