A decade ago, the public transportation system in Sindh, especially in Karachi, faced many difficulties. Most people who used public transportation relied on outdated minibuses. There was little organised public transportation, few modern bus fleets, and many routes were poorly planned or managed. Because of this, thousands of people had to travel every day, which was inconvenient, time-consuming, and usually uncomfortable. This showed how seriously the province needed a better-organised, modern transportation system.
After this realisation, the Government of Sindh has taken significant initiatives to improve public transportation. Many buses were introduced, including the expansion of the People’s Bus Service, and hundreds of modern buses have been deployed to provide safe, comfortable, and affordable travel for citizens. The fleet includes red buses operating on multiple routes, dedicated pink buses for women commuters, electric buses to promote environmentally friendly mobility, and double-decker buses, which have become a popular addition to the transport network.
Now that Eid al-Fitr approaches, Sindh is ready to welcome more public transportation options to make it easier for people to get aroundget around Karachi. As part of these initiatives, new electric bus lines are set to start running throughout the city before Eid. This program is part of a broader transition underway in Sindh’s public transportation system. For decades, the transportation system, particularly in Karachi, has battled to keep up with the city’s fast-growing population. Residents relied primarily on antiquated minibuses and poorly regulated public transportation, which were often overcrowded, unreliable, and hazardous. There were few organised public transportation services, and modern infrastructure was almost nonexistent. Millions of everyday commuters, including students and office professionals, found it difficult and stressful to get around the city.
There have also been efforts to meet the special requirements of women who commute. The Sindh Government has launched 28 Pink Buses for women to make travel safer and more dignified. The government also launched the Pink Scooty Scheme in Sindh to help women get around independently. In the first phase of the program, 945 scooters were given out. In the second phase, 500 more scooters are slated to be distributed, and plans are in place for additional phases in the future.
A region that used to have problems with old systems and not enough transportation is now progressively heading toward a mobility network that is better structured, open to everyone, and good for the environment.
The Bus Rapid Transit system in Karachi is also becoming increasingly important for making it easier to get around the city. The Orange Line BRT Karachi runs 20 buses, and the Green Line BRT Karachi runs 80 buses. This makes it easier for people to navigate the city along key routes. These solutions are making travel faster, more organised, and dependable.
It seems like the creation of ecologically friendly transportation options is another key step. Currently, 84 electric buses are part of Karachi’s public transportation system, and the Sindh Government aims to add even more in the coming years. The transition to electric buses shows that people are more interested in minimising pollution and making city transportation more efficient. The double-decker bus service is one of the newest additions to the city’s transportation system. It has rapidly become popular with both locals and visitors. Right now, there are five double-decker buses in use. In the following phase, the city plans to buy 50 more buses to make its public transportation fleet even stronger.
Efforts to improve the transport sector in Sindh have also relied on institutional coordination and policy planning. Under the leadership of Sharjeel Inam Memon, the Transport and Mass Transit Department has been reviewing progress on key initiatives and identifying areas where further improvements are needed. Senior officials, including Transport Secretary Asad Zamin and the Managing Director of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, Kanwal Nizam Bhutto, have been involved in assessing ongoing projects and developing strategies to strengthen public transportation across the province. These discussions focus on expanding bus routes, improving supporting road infrastructure, and addressing operational and logistical challenges so that transport services can function more efficiently and serve a larger number of commuters.
In the future, officials also want to expand the People’s Bus Service to more districts in Sindh, such as Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Sukkur, Shikarpur, and Khairpur. This would make sure that better public transportation reaches people outside of the provincial capital.
All of these projects together show that Sindh’s public transportation system is slowly but surely changing for the better. A region that used to have problems with old systems and not enough transportation is now progressively heading toward a mobility network that is better structured, open to everyone, and good for the environment. Sindh Government wants to make sure that people all around the province may travel more easily, safely, and with dignity by continuing to invest in buses, electric mobility, and improvements to infrastructure, which is commendable.
The writer is a human rights activist and a blogger.