KARACHI: Authorities in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province said on Tuesday the country’s most densely populated megacity of Karachi would get the Green Line section of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service next month, though experts claimed the completion of the project launched in 2016 was not likely to resolve the transportation woes of the people.
“The federal government-funded Green Line BRT project will become operational in August,” Governor Sindh Imran Ismail said during a news conference in Karachi, adding the modern mass transit system would be launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself.
He added that the buses for the Green Line service had been manufactured in China and were “likely to reach Karachi by August 15.”
The Pakistani government announced its decision to build the 35-kilometer Green Line project on February 26, 2016, as the first phase of the Karachi Metrobus Network to address the transportation problems of the city’s residents. A spokesperson of the Sindh governor told Arab News that 80 buses were planned to be used for the Green Line service.
“While it is good that the project will soon become operational, the fact is that this and other transportation corridors will only facilitate about seven to eight percent of the population. A chunk of the city’s residents will continue to remain deprived of a comfortable transportation option even when all seven corridors become functional,” Dr. Noman Ahmed, professor and dean of the faculty of architecture and management sciences at the NED University, told Arab News.
“Karachi had a good transport system comprising of public and private buses. There was also a circular railway that was functional,” he continued, adding that new buses were not added to the old system and instead its various routes were canceled.
President of Karachi Transport Ittehad Syed Irshad Hussain Shah Bukhari said about 25,000 buses were operational on different routes of the city in 2009, but the system had completely collapsed, and people were left with no option but to pay more money to ride auto-rikshaws and taxi services.
“Just a decade ago, we had 25,000 buses running on over 700 routes that covered every part of the city,” he said. “But that time is long gone. At the moment, we have about 300 buses operating on just about 50 routes and we have no hope of the revival of the old system.”
Dr. Ahmed suggested the revival of the private sector to fix the city’s transportation issues and facilitate a greater number of its residents.
“The cost of constructing these seven corridors has exceeded Rs170 billion,” he noted. “Could we not have conceived an alternative system before spending such an exorbitant amount of money only to facilitate seven to eight percent of Karachi’s population?”
Critics question government’s transportation strategy as Karachi prepares for new bus service in August
https://arab.news/b4ahx
Critics question government’s transportation strategy as Karachi prepares for new bus service in August
- The country’s most densely populated metropolis has been facing transportation challenges after a drastic decline in the number of private buses
- Experts say the new mass transit system will only benefit seven to eight percent of the city’s population
Curfew extended in Gilgit-Baltistan, probe ordered after deadly Khamenei protests
- At least 15 people were killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies over the weekend in Gilgit-Baltistan
- Government also announces a de-weaponization campaign, crackdown on hate speech and cybercrime in region
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region on Tuesday extended a curfew in Gilgit district and ordered a judicial probe into violent protests over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes last week, an official said.
At least 15 people were killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies over the weekend in GB, where protesters torched and vandalized several buildings, including United Nations regional offices, an army-run school, software technology park and a local charity building.
The violence prompted regional authorities to impose curfew in Gilgit and Skardu districts on March 2-4 as officials urged people to stay indoors and cooperate with law enforcers, amid widespread anger in Pakistan, particularly among members of the Shiite minority, over Khamenei’s killing.
On Tuesday, the GB government convened to review the situation and announced the extension of curfew in Gilgit among a number of security measures as well as ordered the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the weekend violence in the region.
“The government has made it clear that the law will strictly take its course against elements involved in vandalism at government institutions, private properties and incidents of vandalism in Gilgit and Skardu and no kind of mischief will be tolerated,” Shabbir Mir, a GB government spokesperson, said in a statement.
“In view of the security situation, curfew will remain in force in Gilgit, while the decision to extend the curfew in Skardu will be taken keeping the ground realities and the changing situation in view.”
The statement did not specify how long the curfew will remain in place in Gilgit.
Besides the formation of the judicial commission to investigate the violent clashes, the government also decided to launch a large-scale de-weaponization campaign in the entire Gilgit district, for which relevant institutions have been directed to immediately complete all necessary arrangements, according to Mir.
In addition, a crackdown has been ordered on hate speech, spread of fake news and cybercrime.
“The aim of these decisions is to ensure the rule of law, protect the lives and property of citizens and crack down on miscreants,” he said. “Approval has also been given to immediately survey the affected infrastructure and start their restoration work on priority basis.”
Demonstrators in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi also stormed the US Consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to burn the building. Police responded with batons, tear gas, and gunfire, leaving 10 people dead and more than 50 injured.
Pakistani authorities have since beefed up security at US diplomatic missions across the country, including around the US consulate building in Peshawar, to avoid any further violence.
