ALKHOBAR, 2 April 2004 — Karachi will finally have a mass transit system. Karamatullah Chaudhary, vice president of National Engineering Services, Pakistan (NESPAK) disclosed that the Karachi Light Rail Project, which aims to service at least 300,000 commuters per hour, will start between July-August.
He was speaking at a seminar held under the auspices of the Eastern Province’s Institution of Engineers, Pakistan (IEP). “Karachi is the 25th most congested city in the world. It has 16,000 buses, 25,000 rickshaws and 14,000 taxis. A mass transit system was long overdue,” Karamatullah said.
Tenders were received for the project from China and the United States. “We will most likely go with the Americans if they can revise the cost downward,” Karamatullah told Arab News. The cost of the mass transit system is estimated to be between $15-18 million per kilometer.
The guest of honor at the seminar was Sheikh Tariq Abdel Hadi Al-Gahtani. He praised the Pakistanis for their dedication and hard work. “These engineers have played an important role in building the infrastructure of Saudi Arabia.”
Gahtani also announced the sponsorship of an additional five needy Pakistani engineering students for four years. IEP currently has 66 students in this program.
Jalil Hassan, chairman of IEP, Saudi Arabia said: “Pakistan is poised to play an important role in the Middle East. We have the capability to provide leadership in the region.”
IEP, Saudi Arabia, which has over 400 members, was established in Riyadh in 1990. A sub-center was opened in the Eastern Province in 1996. It has the distinction of being the only such center outside Pakistan.
