The Sindh Minister of Information, Transport, and Urban Transport, Sharjeel Inam Memon, announced the official closure of the People’s Bus Service (PBS) for Sukkur residents on February 17 and the People’s Pink Bus Service (PPBS) in Hyderabad on February 18.
PPBS will announce the increased number of buses on Route 1 and the addition of new routes on February 20.
After a meeting on Monday, the minister held a news conference in his office to make the announcement.
Referring to the decisions made at the meeting regarding bus service, he stated that beginning February 17, residents of Sukkur would also have access to modern and reasonably priced bus service.
He stated that route 2, which runs from Power Chowrangi in North Karachi to Indus Hospital in Korangi through Nagan Chowrangi, Shafiq Mor, Gulshan Chowrangi, Jauhar Mor, COD, Drigh Road, Sharae Faisal, Shah Faisal Colony, and Singer Chowrangi, would become Korangi No. 5. Similarly, pink buses would operate on Route 10 from Numaish Chowrangi to Clock Tower at Sea View through MA Jinnah Road, Zaib-un-Nissa Street, Metropole, Teen Talwar, Do Talwar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Dolmen Mall, and McDonald’s.
He noted that the number of buses on the current Route 1 bus service between Model Colony and Merwether Tower would be enhanced.
He said, “Pakistan is one of the few countries with a separate bus service for women.”
Sharjeel stated that in response to the issue of public transportation, the Sindh government is focused on several projects to reduce the load on the people, with the Prime Minister personally supervising these initiatives. He stated that the prime minister had contacted the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to extend the popular bus service further. He noted that as a result, the first electric bus service in Pakistan was also started in Karachi.
“An additional huge fleet of electric buses has arrived at the Karachi Port, and these vehicles will soon be implemented on new routes,” he explained. He noted that because electric buses are fuel-free and environmentally good, they will not contribute to air pollution.
In response to a query, the minister stated that the government of Sindh was constructing 2,2 million homes.