Much-awaited and long-standing promise of provision of quality transport to Karachities was finally fulfilled by the Sindh government as it launched first electric bus in Karachi.
Before coming into power, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had claimed to transform the transportation system of Karachi, where more than 14 million people are forced to travel in dilapidated buses everyday.
The electric bus project was inaugurated by Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah under public-private partnership.
Inaugrated the first electric bus for Karachi. We will be adding a fleet of 100 electric buses for Karachi in near future. InshAllah !! pic.twitter.com/Nzcqlt2e4r
— Syed Awais Shah (@awais_shah01) March 30, 2021
According to the minister, the buses will ply between Tower and Sohrab Goth with a fare of Rs 10 from one stop to the next.
Sapphire Group’s bus will have 10 bus stops in the first phase while each bus has a capacity of 37 seats.
“The electric bus would run on a trial basis from Tower via MA Jinnah Road and Shahra-e –Pakistan to Sohrab Goth”, said the provincial transport minister while addressing the inaugural ceremony.
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He added that the project was impeded due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the government planned to increase the number of these environment-friendly vehicles to 100 by the end of the year.
While reviewing remarkable achievements of PPP’s government in Karachi, Shah said, “Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects will also complete soon under which 250 buses will be brought on the roads.”
Supporting the initiative, the Federal Minister for Science & Technology Government Fawad Chaudhry felicitated Sindh government on the eco-friendly project.
Want to congratulate Sindh Govt specially @MuradAliShahPPP and ministry of transport on their remarkable step to add electric bus in Karachi Commuters system,@MinistryofST is fully behind Sind Govt in this futuristic approach hope Punjab and KP ll also take same route ASAP
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 30, 2021
In contrast to Fawad’s tweet, PTI’s MPA Khurrum Sher Zaman was rather unhappy with the provincial government’s initiative of introducing first electric-powered bus and added that for the last 14 years, PPP has been making fake promises and enforced Karachities to travel in the worst transport system.
بیگانے کی شادی میں سندھ حکومت دیوانی
پچھلے 14 سال سے عوام کو چنچی رکشوں اور کھٹارا بسوں پر دھکے کھلاتے رہے اور اب پرائیوٹ بس پر اپنی تختی لگانے پہنچ پڑے، بدلتے وزراء اعلانات پر اعلانات کرکے غائب ہوتے رھے لیکن عوام کو سفر کی سہولیات فراھم نہ کر سکے. pic.twitter.com/r2UNFLZLna
— Khurrum Sher Zaman 🇵🇰 (@KhurumSherZaman) March 31, 2021