Karachi Breeze

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Karachi Breeze
Overview
OwnerGovernment of Sindh
LocaleKarachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Transit typeBRT
Number of lines5
1 operational
1 under-construction
3 planned
Number of stations~90
Daily ridership~350,000 daily (Green and Orange lines)
Websitewww.breezekarachi.com
Operation
Operator(s)Sindh Mass Transit Authority
Technical
System length112.9 km (70.2 mi)

Karachi Breeze is a 112.9 km (70.2 mi) is a network of bus rapid transit lines under construction in Karachi, Pakistan. Construction began in 2016,[1][2][3] and one line is operational, one is under construction as of late 2021, with 3 more planned. The projected ridership of the first line is estimated at 350,000 passengers per day, with a total of 109 km of dedicated bus routes.[2] Upon completion, it will become the largest BRT network in Pakistan, and will connect to the Karachi Circular Railway.[4]

History[]

Nawaz Sharif, during a high-level meeting in Karachi on July 10, 2014, announced funds to launch the BRT Green Line to alleviate the severe traffic congestion in the city.[5] The slow pace of work on BRT Green Line has irked citizens as the digging work on main arteries has resulted in congestion of traffic,[5] which the former prime minister blamed on the Sindh government.[6] In 2018, the name of the project was changed from Karachi Bus and Mass Rapid Transit system to Karachi Breeze.[7]

Lines[]

The system will be divided into 5 dedicated lines or "busways".

Green Line[]

Main article: Green Line - Karachi Metrobus

The Green Line will extend from Merewether Tower in central Karachi, to Surjani in northern Karachi, with a total length of 26 km (16 mi). The Government of Pakistan will be financing the majority of the project.[8] Construction of the Green Line began on February 26, 2016. The line will have 22 bus stations when completed.[9] Engineering Associates have been contracted as the designers and supervision consultants for Green Line while a Consortium of "Ernest & Young", "Exponent Engineers" & "Haider Mota & BNR" have been contracted for "Transaction Advisory for Bus Operational Plan".[10][11][12] The line will be served by 8 18-metre-long buses.[13] In addition, a Command and Control Centre is being established at Garden West. The Green Line is to be powered by biomethane collected from the dung of cattle.[14][15][16]

Orange Line[]

Main article: Orange Line - Karachi Metrobus

The Orange Line, also called the Edhi Line in honour of philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi,[17] is the shortest of the five line's, spreading over 3.9 km with only four stations within Orangi.[13] The Orange line will be spread over 2.3 km, of which 0.7 km will be elevated while 1.5 km will be on ground, whereas, the 1.5 km will be semi dedicated section. The project is entirely funded and built by the Sindh government. It was started in 2016, but suffered long delays and is expected to completed in 2021.[18] The project was criticized as being the only BRT line of the system that was not devised in conjunction with community input.[18]

The line will have the capacity to carry up to 50,000 passengers daily, with a station located at every kilometer of its length. The line begins at Shahrah-e-Quaideen, near TMO Office, to Board Office, where it will join the Green Line BRT, through a rotary flyover.

Blue Line[]

Main article:

The Blue Line will extend from Merewether Tower in central Karachi, to Bahria Town in northeast Karachi at a total length of 30 km (19 mi) along Jahangir Road, and Shahrah-e-Pakistan to Sohrab Goth and onto Superhighway.[19] It will be the first privately funded transport system in Pakistan being funded by the Bahria Town Group.[20]

Yellow Line[]

Main article:

The 22-kilometre-long Yellow Line project will connect Numaish Chowrangi near the Mazar-e-Quaid in central Karachi, to its eastern suburbs of Korangi and Landhi, terminating at Dawood Chowrangi.[21] It has an estimated cost of $428 million, of which $382 million will be financed by the World Bank.[22] It will be serviced by 268 buses and 28 stations,[22] including 22 at grade and 6 underground.[23] Construction of the line was delayed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, and is expected to start in 2022, with completion in 2025.[21]

Red Line[]

Main article:

The Red Line has been approved and will connect central Karachi to its eastern suburbs. It will extend from Numaish Chowrangi near the Mazar-e-Quaid in central Karachi, to Malir Halt in eastern Karachi via University Road.[16] The system will be a "third generation" BRT system in which local buses can enter/exit the system at designated points, to travel between city streets and the dedicated bus corridor.[24] It will have at a total length of 27 km (17 mi). Construction was to start in August 2020, but was delayed to 2021 due to the global coronavirus pandemic,[24] and was originally planned to be completed in 2022 at a cost of $503.2 million.[25] The projected ridership of the system is 300,000 passengers per day.[16]

It is the first transportation project in the world to receive funding from the UN Green Climate Fund for its use of biomethane from cow dung to power buses.[16] A facility will be established at Cattle Colony to produce 11 tonnes of biogas per day for the line's 213 buses.[26] A system of drains will also be built along the line to harvest rainwater for horticultural use, while the drains will also be perforated to allow rainwater to recharge water tables.[27]

Fleet[]

The government is in the process of acquiring eighty 18-metre-long articulated buses for the Green Line, twenty-five 18-metre-long articulated buses for the Green Line Extension and eighteen 12-metre-long buses for the Orange Line.[28]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "PM announces Rs15bn for Karachi 'Green Line' bus project". Dawn. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "وزیراعظم کا کراچی میں 15 ارب روپے کے ریپڈ بس منصوبے کا اعلان". Express. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "Prime Minister Announces to Launch Metro Bus in Karachi". Pakistan Tribune. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  4. ^ "Pakistan Railways announces restoring KCR from Monday | SAMAA". Samaa TV. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  5. ^ a b "Slow pace of work on Green Line irks citizens". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  6. ^ news92hd (2018-02-02). "Nawaz declares Sindh govt responsible for delay in Green Line project - 92 News HD Plus". 92 News HD Plus. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  7. ^ "SMTA officially changes name of KBMRT system to Karachi Breeze". Daily Times. 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  8. ^ "Ground-breaking ceremony: Green Line BRT finally gets go-ahead - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  9. ^ Dawn.com (2016-02-26). "Karachi's Green Line bus will be more beautiful than Lahore metro: PM Nawaz". www.dawn.com. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  10. ^ "Green Line goes the extra mile - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
  11. ^ Dawn.com (2016-02-26). "Karachi's Green Line bus will be more beautiful than Lahore metro: PM Nawaz". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
  12. ^ اداریہ (2016-02-29). "گرین لائن ٹرانسپورٹ منصوبہ". Dawn News Television. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
  13. ^ a b "Tender for Green Line and Orange Line". Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  14. ^ Mukhtar, Imran (2019-01-02). "Biogas guzzlers: Karachi's public buses to run on cow poo". Reuters. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  15. ^ "Sindh unveils country's first waste-to-fuel transport project". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  16. ^ a b c d Ebrahim, Zofeen T. (2020-01-23). "Karachi's green buses to be powered by dung". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  17. ^ "Karachi's Orange Line BRT renamed after Edhi". The Express Tribune. 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  18. ^ a b "Orange Line BRT construction resumes after long wait". The Express Tribune. 2020-08-21. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  19. ^ "Blue Line Feasibility Study" (PDF).
  20. ^ "Bahria Town Karachi to Start "Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS)"". 14 March 2014.
  21. ^ a b "Work on Yellow Line BRT pushed to next year". The Express Tribune. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  22. ^ a b "WB assures working to wrap up Karachi Yellow line design | SAMAA". Samaa TV. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  23. ^ "CM Murad Ali Shah orders transport department to complete Orange Line's infrastructure". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  24. ^ a b "Red Line Bus project inches forward". The Express Tribune. 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  25. ^ Ali, Kashaf (2020-11-10). "Karachi BRT Red Line Project Will Boost Pakistan's Transport Sector Sustainably: ADB". Brecorder. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  26. ^ "BR-ePaper | Nov 29, 2019 | Page National News Page 5". epaper.brecorder.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  27. ^ "Red Line to introduce rainwater storage system". The Express Tribune. 2020-11-22. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  28. ^ "Bus Operation of Green and Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit System in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan". Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
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