On Monday, Sindh Assembly learned that the Karachi administration will integrate the newly launched Orange Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service with the Green Line BRT service to facilitate the commuters and ensure its financial viability.
Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon gave this assurance in response to an opposition legislator’s call-to-attention notice on the financial sustainability of the Orange Line service. Launched in September, the said BRT service connects Orangi with the Matric Board Office intersection.
In the notice, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) legislator Ali Khursheedi said that the Orange Line project has failed to attract Orangi Town residents because it ran on an unpopular route.
He pointed out that the project’s operational cost is much higher than its passenger count, threatening its financial viability.
Conceding with Khursheedi’s concerns, Memon told the House that Karachi’s Orange Line service had been operational for a while, but it wasn’t as popular as People’s Bus Service, which has become very popular among commuters.
He acknowledged that Orange Line BRT must be integrated with Green Line BRT for better usability. Memon added that he has requested the federally run Sindh Infrastructure Development Company (SIDC) to integrate the two BRT services fully.
Memon assured that public transport in Karachi and other urban areas of the province will soon undergo “revolutionary” changes.
