Daewoo buses to ply city’s roads soon

Karachi
As per an agreement with the Sindh government, buses of the South Korean company, Daewoo Express, would soon be seen plying Karachi’s roads.
Speaking to The News, officials of the Sindh Transport Department confirmed that plans were nearing execution stage and said the introduction of new buses would prove invaluable in overcoming the city’s transport problems.
Transport Secretary Taha Farooqi said the government had agreed to provide initial finances, said to be around Rs2 billion, for the setup of bus terminals and other ground facilities, including route permits. The major chunk of the finances, however, would be furnished by the company itself.
He clarified that the provincial government would not be providing any subsidy for the project.
The company had previously announced plans to bring 100 buses on Karachi’s roads and, last week, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah had inaugurated the project officially.

Fares and routes
The bus company would charge fares as per the agreement signed and the same formula would apply for intra-city transport.
However, it was promised that the company would be free to choose operating routes and the government would issue permits. As per the agreement, the government would not allow any other company or transporters to operate on the routes allocated to Daewoo.
Relevant officials were hopeful the project would be launched within the next few months and saw it as a potential game-changer for the city.