The Sindh government has revised the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project by replacing hybrid buses with electric vehicles (EVs), while the planned biogas plant will now supply gas to the industrial sector instead of public transport.
Speaking during Question Hour in the Sindh Assembly, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the government had decided to introduce electric buses under the Red Line project through a public-private partnership.
He said the government would provide land, charging infrastructure, and depot space for 500 EV buses operating on BRT routes across Karachi.
Memon stated that the biogas plant would still be developed under the project, but the gas produced would now be allocated to industries after the shift from hybrid buses to EVs.
He added that feasibility studies were ongoing and tenders for the project were expected next month. The final project cost would be determined after bids are received.
The senior minister said the Red Line project, backed by the Asian Development Bank, had faced delays and increased costs due to currency fluctuations and rising construction expenses.
He also confirmed that the Frontier Works Organisation replaced one of the contractors after it refused to continue work.
Memon said work on Karachi’s transport network was progressing despite challenges, including delays in utility transfers by K-Electric and other institutions.
He said the Orange Line project had been completed, while work on the Yellow Line was advancing quickly with support from the World Bank.
According to Memon, daily ridership on the Orange Line increased from 2,000 to 9,500 passengers after the provincial government took over operations, while the Green Line’s ridership rose from 50,000 to 95,000 passengers per day.
The minister also announced that the People’s Bus Service would soon launch a new route in Hyderabad from Latifabad to Haider Chowk before or shortly after Eid al-Adha.
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