Commissioner Navid Ahmed Shaikh while presiding over a meeting on Tuesday said the construction of a corridor from Malir Halt to Numaish, under the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was expected to start this month.
In the meeting, called to review the arrangements for the construction, transport secretary Shariq Ahmed called to the mind that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council had approved the project so that it had two corridors – one extending across a length of 27 kilomteres from Malir Halt to Numaish and another between Numaish to Merewether Tower – and over Rs70 billion had been allocated for the scheme.
Stating that the construction of the corridor connecting Malir Halt and Numaish was expected to start this month, the secretary further said 16 stations would be built along the corridor, which would run through Model Colony, Safoora Goth and Nipa, and pass by the Met Office, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Safari Park, Federal Urdu University of Science and Technology, Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Civic Centre, Askari park, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology and Society Office.
Addressing the meeting, the Karachi commissioner maintained that the Sindh government had been making all-out efforts to improve traffic management in the city and improve public transport.
“The Red Line project will help government achieve its goal of providing better transport facilities to citizens and improve the city’s transport system,” he said.
Besides, he directed civic agencies to extend their complete support to the project, so that it was completed on time. Moreover, the commissioner instructed transport department officials to consult and schedule meetings with the traffic police and Traffic Engineering Bureau to address the issues of traffic congestion and ensure that the construction of the Red Line project did not cause any problems relating to traffic.
