KARACHI: The World Bank report has revealed that Karachi’s comprehensive transport system requires a total of 15,000 buses. Presently, only 1029 buses are in operation on city roads, comprising 240 from the People’s Bus Service, 100 from BRT, and 689 older buses managed by the private sector.
Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to assess route feasibility for acquiring an additional 500 buses for the province. During a briefing at the Sindh secretariat, officers from the Sindh transport department provided these details to Muhammad Younus Dagha, the caretaker provincial minister of finance, revenue, and planning and development in Sindh.
The report highlighted a need for approximately 13,000 more public transport buses in Karachi to bridge the existing gap. In response, Minister Dagha emphasized the importance of encouraging private sector participation through public-private partnership projects to address this significant shortfall in public transport.
Furthermore, discussions revolved around a proposal to establish an endowment fund to facilitate easy loans for local private transporters, with suggestions to provide these loans at zero markup rates. Additionally, there were talks about offering soft loans to local transporters post-bus purchase, with the buses initially held under the Sindh government’s name until the transporters complete their loan installments.
Participants agreed that such measures would empower local transporters to acquire new buses through accessible loans, supported by the government, thereby enhancing public transport services in the city.
