Murad wants 28 KMC buses to be renovated, put on city routes

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab to work out a proposal to add 28-air conditioned CNG buses of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to the Peoples Bus Service fleet.

He issued this directive at a meeting, which was attended by Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi and Municipal Commissioner KMC Afzal Zaidi.

Wahab briefed the chief minister that the defunct city district government of Karachi had procured 75 buses. The buses operated on CNG; of them, 14 buses were donated to different organisations. Later, 10 buses were donated to Karachi University, the remaining buses remained in operation till 2017 and then the operations were discontinued due to the non-availability of CNG and poor maintenance.

Wahab said 51 buses were in different stages of decay and were available with the KMC. He said 28 buses, if repaired, could be put in operation. He said one of the repaired vehicles has been converted to diesel fuel and the bus has been reconditioned for Rs8 million.

Ghani proposed that the cost estimate for the renovation of 28 buses may be carried out first and then reconditioning may be started, if feasible. It was proposed that these 28 buses, after renovation, may be used as shuttle service from Numaish up to Old Radio Pakistan or Tower, which ultimately would be the route of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit.

The chief minister directed the KMC to work out a plan for the renovation of its 28 buses for him. “If the renovation proposal is approved the transport department would be assigned the task of upgrading them and putting them on the route or turning them into shuttle service as suggested,” he said.