Sindh Transport Minister Syed Awais Qadir Shah announced yesterday that China has dispatched the first batch of diesel-hybrid buses for Karachi. A fleet of 121 buses — divided into two shipments — has left the Chinese shores and will arrive soon, he added.
These buses will serve in an intra-city public transport service that will operate on 15 routes in six districts. Shah added that the transport ministry will launch the bus service in May 2022.
Original Plans
Sindh government plans to procure 250 diesel-hybrid buses for its People’s Bus Service project. The transport ministry will initially launch this service in Karachi.
The ministry has procured these buses from Higer Bus Company, which claims to have tested them for this project. The initial plan was for the buses to arrive in March, but their procurement faced a delay.
These buses will traverse across a 29.5-kilometer route between Model Colony and Tower, as well as a 33-kilometer route initially between Nagan Chowrangi and Singer Chowrangi. The ministry will roll out this service in Karachi, Mirpur Khas, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Hyderabad.
