CM approves design for multi-storey underground bus station at Numaish

The Sindh chief minister has approved the design for a multi-storey underground bus station to be constructed at the Numaish traffic intersection as the central point of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) Green Line project.

Presiding over a meeting on Thursday, Syed Murad Ali Shah was given a briefing on the bus station’s design.

The Green Line project director and principal secretary to Sindh governor, Sualeh Farooqui, told the chief minister that the underground station would have a mezzanine floor which would be used to set up a commercial area.

Since this bus station would serve as the central point for all the different BRTS lines, the retail area would contribute significantly for self-sustenance through a non-fare revenue policy, he said.

The chief minister said the retail area could be developed under the public-private partnership mode after launching of the project. “Right now the project’s completion and starting the bus operation is the top priority as the people of Karachi are eagerly waiting for its completion since long,” he said while approving the bus station’s design.

The chief minister directed Farooqui to call tenders for the project on February 15 and urged him to make all efforts for to start the project in April. He directed also Farooqui to notify the date of project’s completion so the Sindh Mass Transit & Transport Authority (SMTA) could also issue a notice accordingly.

Transport minister Syed Nasir Shah told the meeting that he had started preparations for procurement of buses for the Green Line and Orange Line projects. Another issue Green Line project director Zubair Channa raised in the meeting was about the establishment of a bus depot in Surjani Town. The chief minister directed law secretary Iftikhar Shallwani to make necessary amendment in the land document so that 3.5 acres land could be used for construction of the bus depot. The CM asked the law secretary to do the task within 15 days.

The chief minister also approved the design of the BRTS System from Numaish to Merewether Tower. The route would be same for all the lines of the Bus Rapid System. The meeting held at CM House was attended by local government minister Jam Khan Shoro, transport & information minister Syed Nasir Shah, chief secretary Rizwan Memon, planning & development department chairman Mohammad Waseem, principal secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Green Line project director & principal secretary to Sindh governor Sualeh Farooqui, transport secretary Saeed Awan, Green Line project director Zubair Channa and other officers.