Karachi: The establishment of a Trans-Karachi Company for the operations and management of the Bus Rapid Transit System was approved in a meeting of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority board on Wednesday. Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar was included into the board as a member. While the chairman of the board has already been appointed, a representative of the Asian Development Bank still reminded the meeting on Wednesday that as per the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) rules, only an independent member could be given the charge of the board’s chair. Wednesday’s meeting was the second meeting of the authority to deliberate matters pertaining to the BRTS of the metropolitan. It was held at the Sindh Secretariat of the Services, General Administration, and Coordination Department. The meeting was presided by SMTA board chairman Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, who is the provincial minister for Transport and Mass Transit. The meeting was also attended by other members of the board including Saeed Ahmad Awan, the transport secretary; Waseem Akhtar, the city mayor as well as the mayor Hyderabad. In his welcome remarks, SMTA board chairman Nasir Hussain Shah extended his gratitude to all the participants, including representatives of the Asian Development Bank. His address was followed by a speech by the transport secretary. Hanif Muhammad Mirchiwala, the managing director of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, then presented the minutes of the 1st meeting of the SMTA board for ratification and approval of the members. The minutes were unanimously approved. While responding to the Hyderabad mayor’s question regarding any plans for BRT projects for Hyderabad, the minister said that a masterplan had yet to be developed for Hyderabad and Sukkur. He said that the SMTA had submitted grant proposals to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for devising the masterplan for both cities. He said that if the grant proposal was not approved, then the plan would be included in the next year’s Annual Development Programme of the provincial government. Published in Daily Times, May 17th 2018.