Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon has announced the inauguration of Peoples Bus Service’s fourth route, which will run between Gulshan Hadeed and Malir Cantt, Geo News reported on Wednesday.
Using the service, people will be able to go to Quaidabad, Malir Halt, and Malir Cantt from Gulshan Hadeed.
In Karachi, two routes of the recently opened Peoples Bus Service in Sindh are already operational. Six further routes, including one in Larkana, will be operational within the next two days, while the infrastructure of four others is being improved to start the bus service.
This emerged during a meeting that was held at CM House under the chairmanship of Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday, The News reported.
Reviewing the operation and issues of different routes of the bus service, Shah directed the transport minister to start the 30km Route No. 9 from Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Malir Cantt on Wednesday (today). “The buses are available, and the route is clear, so the service must be started in public interest.”
Route No. 9 covers areas from Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Malir Cantt via the N-5, Quaidabad, Sharea Faisal, Malir Halt, Jinnah Avenue, and Malir Cantt’s checkpoints 6 and 5. Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon briefed the CM that Route No. 1 (Model Colony to Tower) is 27km long, with 37 buses plying on it. He said the route is operational and has attracted a large number of commuters.
The route covers Tower, Metropole, Sharea Faisal, Malir Halt and Khokhrapar. Memon said that a section of the 1.5km road near the Mehran Depot in Model Colony is in a shambles and needs to be reconstructed for the bus to reach Khokhrapar easily. The CM directed Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah to get the road reconstructed by the Korangi District Municipal Corporation (DMC).
The CM was told that Route No. 2 (North Karachi to Korangi Crossing) is 30km long, with 38 buses operating on it. The route covers North Karachi Powerhouse, Nagan Chowrangi, Rashid Minhas Road, Drigh Road, Sharea Faisal, Korangi No. 5 and 12000 Road Korangi Crossing. Memon said that at two different locations at the Korangi Crossing, road patchwork is urgently required.
The CM directed the LG department to repair the road through the Korangi DMC on an urgent basis. The CM was told that Route No. 3 (North Karachi to Nasir Jump) is a 38km route, on which 38 buses will be made operational on July 22.
The route covers Powerhouse, Ajmer Nagri, Nagan Chowrangi, Shahrah-e-Noorjahan, Nazimabad Eidgah, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Civic Centre, Karsaz, Sharea Faisal, FTC, Korangi Road, Qayyumabad, 8000 Road, Shan Chowrangi and Nasir Jump.
Buses on Route No. 6 (Orangi Town to Singer Chowrangi) will also be made functional on July 22, said Memon, adding that in Orangi, at the start of the route, a portion of the road has developed craters during the recent heavy rains and is being repaired.
It was pointed out that the portions of the road from Ajmer Nagri to Shahrah-e-Noorjahan need to be renovated. The CM issued directives for the repair of the road on an urgent basis.
Moreover, the 23km long Route No. 4 (North Karachi to West Wharf), the 28km long Route No. 5 (Surjani to Masroor Base), the 29km long Route No. 7 (Baldia to Mosamiat) and the 29km long Route No. 11 (Mosamiat to Dolmen Mall) require reconstruction of different portions of roads to make the bus service operational on them.
The CM directed LG Secretary Najam Shah to personally visit these four routes and suggest the repair of roads where needed so the routes can be made operational at the earliest.
The meeting was also attended by Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab, Commissioner Iqbal Memon, Transport Secretary Haleem Shaikh, traffic police chief DIG Ahmed Nawaz and other relevant officials.
