Bilawal to inaugurate People’s Bus Service today

Only one of the six designated routes will start seeing buses plying under the Sindh Intra-District People’s Bus Service project in Karachi after its formal inauguration by Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari today (Monday).

A senior official of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) told The News on Sunday that buses would start their operations on Monday on the designated route No 1 of the bus service from Model Colony to Merewether Tower via Sharea Faisal and II Chundrigar Road.

He explained that according to the original route, the buses had to go to Regal Chowk in Saddar before reaching Arambagh but now, buses would instead now reach Tower via II Chundrigar Road from Arts Council Chowrangi.

He said the Saddar portion of the route was not being used due to lack of preparations for the new bus service. The SMTA official said that minimum and maximum passenger fares of the new air-conditioned bus service would be Rs25 and Rs55 respectively.

He added that preparations were under way to start the operation of buses on the rest of the designated routes in Karachi by August 14 this year, and inspections were being carried out on the remaining routes in this regard.

According to the official, the SMTA has allocated 30 buses for the route No 1. New diesel-electric hybrid buses have been imported from China for the bus service. It is expected that Bilawal accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and other members of the provincial cabinet would formally launch the bus service at a ceremony today at 12 noon near the Avari Towers.

Bilawal Bhutto accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, and other members of the provincial cabinet will formally launch the bus service at a ceremony on Monday at 12 noon near Hotel Avari Towers.