Daily Times

KARACHI: Karachi Infrastructure Development Company Limited (KIDCL) in a fresh move has decided to start fourth phase of Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System, officials of KIDCL informed.

Commander Irfanullah Hussaini during recent visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Karachi had briefed him regarding the extension of the project to Merewether Clock Tower (MWT) to Dockyard. In principle, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agreeing with the proposal gave go ahead signal.

In this connection KIDCL has appointed consultants to make viable the 1.8 kilometers route extension of this BRT system from MWT to Karachi Dockyard.

Zubair Channa, General Manager (GM) KIDCL talking to Daily Times said the consultants have been given six month to work out on the extension of Green Line project.

On the practicability, by September 2017, the PC-1 report of consultants will be submitted to committee of KIDCL, comprising federal secretary, the chairman of the KIDCL committee, federal secretaries of planning and finance, additional secretary Prime Minister Office, chief secretary Sindh, Lt. Gen (retd) Shahid Niaz, Sarosh Lodhi, Dean Civil and Architecture NED University, Noman Ahmad, Chairman Architecture and Town Planning NED Varsity, secretary Transport, government of Sindh and Commissioner Karachi as members of the committee.

Later the PC-1 will be sent to Planning Division of federal government for approval. After the approval, the project will be put before Ishaq Dar, Federal Finance Minister for the release of additional funds to initiate work on the fourth phase of Green Line extension project, GM KIDCL said.

Channa said first phase of Green Line Bus consists of three components runs from Surjani Town to Guru Mandir, second from Guru Mandir to Municipal Park near Sabri Nihari Chowk, but third phase which had been planned from Tibet Centre to MWT has now been reshaped. It will run on ground from Tibet Centre towards Regal Chowk via Abdullah Haroon Road, Zainab Market, Fawara Chowk, Sindh Assembly Chowk, Shaheen Complex, II Chundrigar Road to reach MW Tower.

“This change has been made in view to save 118 heritage buildings coming in the Green Line Bus route besides the plan will also reduce financial cost of the project”, he asserted.

He informed that now the total run of Green Line Bus has been come to 22 kilometers (km).

The total elevated route is 11.45 km while 8.75 km run will be at-grade. The numbers of stations are 29 from Surjani Town to MWT.

On a query, he said the delay in the completion of project from Surjani Town to Guru Mandir can be attributed to shifting of civic underground amenities and tendering process. Currently three contractors are working on this project, he added.

After completion of civil work construction, work on 29 bus stations and two bus depots besides a command and control centre in Garden East area will be built, he informed.

After completion, the project will be handed over to Sindh government to run the bus system as its responsibility. Sindh government will purchase around 400 buses including 200 caravan buses under Private Public Partnership to run this project.

He said Saleh Farooqui, Principal Secretary Governor Sindh who is head of Green Line Project is monitoring all activities in this regard.

The original cost on this project has been estimated around Rs 16 billion till Guru Mandir and after new developments the cost will increase to Rs 24 billion upto the completion of project at Municipal Park Sabri Chowk.