Bus Rapid Transit System for Karachi

Karachi is the industrial and commercial hub of Pakistan. Its role in the national economy is pivotal. The
current population is over 20 million, growing at an annual rate of over 5%. The recent economic growth
in Karachi is significant, with rapid population increase, the residual effect of a net increase in real
disposable income and active land development in suburban area: the city has expanded vertically and
horizontally very rapidly. Such changes have caused immense demand for transportation services and
have put tremendous pressure on infrastructure, resulting in heavy traffic congestions at peak times. As
an immediate measure to minimize traffic congestion, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) initiated
road improvement projects which included construction of flyovers/underpasses and road widening
program but to no significant avail. The order of the day is a dedicated mass transit system.

A detailed Karachi Urban Transportation Improvement Study (KTIP) has been completed by Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led team. Based on a comprehensive study. The Plan integrates
roads and Mass Transit related project into urban Transport Master plan. The JICA study finalized two
Mass Rapid Transit [MRT] and six BRTS lines besides Revitalization of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) on
modern lines.

BRT is a cost-effective high capacity and innovative public transit solution that can considerably improve
urban mobility. BRT systems can easily be customized to community needs and incorporate state-of-
the-art, low-cost technologies that result in more passengers and less congestion.BRT System is
generally of a higher standard than a conventional bus system whereby buses are fully removed from
other traffic, for example, running parallel to a congested arterial, while others are much less
segregated. This provides for uninterrupted movement of the BRT bus to its destination and provides
fast, reliable and easy means of transportation to the passengers.

The Government of Sindh (GOS) is planning to implement six BRTs Corridors i.e. the Yellow,
Green,Orange, Red, Blue and Brown Lines. The six BRTs corridors hove a combined ridership of 2.0-43
million passengers per day. The BRTs service is expected to generate substantial fare and non-fare
revenue.

Benefits of the Project

One of the ten largest cities in the world, Karachi is Pakistan’s main seaport, and its financial and
economic hub.

But, largely due to congestion, difficult and often dangerous commuting, and air and noise pollution,
Karachi is ranked by the Economic Intelligence Unit’s 2017 Global Livability Report as one of the most
unlivable cities in the world.

Insufficient public transport, which cannot cater for the needs of the traveling public, is a key
contributor. It does not constitute the well-planned, integrated mass transport system Karachi needs if
it’s to become a world class city, attracting inward investment, reducing poverty and improving livability.

To create such a transport infrastructure, the city developed the Transport Master Plan 20301, which
incorporates:

The revival of the Karachi circular Railway

Two Mass Rapid Transit, or MRT, Lines, the Brown and the Blue Lines

Six BRT, or Bus Rapid Transit Lines (Orange, Green, Red, Yellow, Aqua and Purple)

The revived 43.1km of the Karachi Circular Railway will have an expected ridership of 589,000 people
per day by 2030.

Mass rapid Transit Lines

MRT Brown Line:

The MRT is a rail-based mass transit corridor. The MRT Brown Line runs between Nagan
Chorangi and Korangi. 18.5km in length, it will have 16 stations and an expected daily ridership
of 736,000 people.

MRT Blue Line:

The 22.4 km of the MRT Blue Line will go from Al Asif to Gurumandir.

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Bus Rapid Transit Lines

The BRT is a high-quality bus-based mass transit system able to move large numbers of people (one BRT
line can move up to 10,000 passengers in one direction every hour) from their starting point to their
destination, reliably, efficiently, comfortably and affordably.

The six BRT lines in the Transport Master Plan 2030 will provide a network of interconnected BRT lines
across Karachi.

BRT Orange Line:

The Abdul Sattar Edhi Bus Line, formerly known as the Orange Line, extends four kilometers
from Orangi Town’s Town Municipal Authority (TMA) office to the Matric Board intersection.
Buses are to travel on a 700-metre elevated track from the TMA office to Al Khidmat Hospital
and 1.6km from Abdullah Government College for Women to Jinnah Women University. A
1.5km-long section of the Bacha Khan Flyover will be used along with normal traffic.
 However, progress on the project has been halted at 60%. The project however, is interlinked
with the Green Line and will be relaunched with the start of the Green Line.

BRT Green Line:

Part of the Karachi Transportation Improvement Project, it was inaugurated by former prime
minister Nawaz Sharif in February 2016 and was originally set to be completed by the end of
2017. The federal government-run Karachi Infrastructure Development Company Limited
(KIDCL), however, had to redesign certain portions as the Sindh government wanted various
extensions made to its route so it could be linked to other Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines being
planned in the city. This has resulted in the completion deadline now being revised to mid-2018.
The project’s estimated cost has also increased from 16 billion rupees to 24.6 billion rupees.

The Green Line BRT system consists of a 22-kilometre road corridor that at times moves through
underpasses and occasionally runs at ground level, but mostly remains elevated. It starts from
the Power House area of Surjani Town in northwestern Karachi and ends at Municipal Park in
Jama Cloth Market, located in the centre of the city. It was originally planned to end at Guru
Mandir on MA Jinnah Road, but the route was extended at the request of the Sindh
government, which now wants it extended even further to the Merewether Clock Tower.

Funded by federal Government at the cost of Rs. 25 bn, it consists of around 21 bus stations out
of 25 stations on 22.7 kilometers route from Surjani Town to Guru Mandir have been semi
completed. Similarly, up gradation of 8 kilometer long route has been mostly completed from
Nagan Chowrangi to Nazimabad number. The elevated party of the project comprising of 14 km
has also been completed, save for some face lifting work. Work on the remaining 4 bus stations
in the metropolis is underway.

Important details of the project are as under:

 Project Length: Original: 18.4 Kms;

Revised length: 24.0 km (from Surjani to Municipal Park)

 Estimated Cost: Original PC-1 approved by ECNEC @ Rs. 16,085.10

Million [US $ 160 million]
Revised PC-1 of Rs. 24,604.06 million approved by
CDWP / ECNEC in April 2017 [US $ 180 million]

 Financing
 Infrastructure PSDP
 ITS PSDP
 Bus Operations PSDP

 Daily Ridership Approx. 150,000 to 250,000 passengers per day

 Project Milestones
 Construction Infrastructure from Surjani to Numaish Chowrangi (21
Km) completed.
Work on Phase-II and Common Corridor in progress
[Completion: Dec 2019]
Construction of Bus Depot in Surjani Completed.
Construction of Operational Command and Control
Building completed.
 RFP for IITS Bids will be launched at the end of May, 2019 for
Procurement, Installation and Maintenance of IITS
Component for ten years.
 RFP for Bus Operations Bids will be launched in mid June, 2019 for operations
of Green Line BRTS under PPP mode for 10 – 12 years
of concession period

 Operations Federal Government decided to undertake operations

of Green Line BRTS for period of three years prior to
transfer of operations to Govt. of Sindh under formal
agreement. [date of launch: 1st Quarter of 2020]

BRT Red Line:

The 26.6km BRT Red Line will run from Model Colony to Numaish. The Project will deliver the
26.6 kilometres BRT Line Red Line and its associated facilities, which will benefit 1.5 million
individuals, who live within a km of the Red Line BRT station. According to Asian Development
Bank over 300,000 passengers are expected on the Red Line BRT routes daily.

The development bank will "partially administer" two loans of $100 million each from the Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Agence Française de Développement for the joint
financing of the civil works of the project and its equipment costs.

As per ADB, the project will restructure the entire width of the Red Line BRT corridor which
includes: the construction of 29 stations, dedicated lanes, improvement of the mixed-traffic
roadway with up to six lanes in each direction, inclusion of on-street parking and landscaped
green areas in various locations, improvement of the drainage system to climate-proof the
corridor and installation of nonmotorised transport infrastructure such as bicycle lanes,
improved sidewalks, and energy-efficient street lights.

The project will also establish sustainable BRT operations in Karachi by improving the capacity of
relevant transport authorities, designing the BRT business model and subsidy-free operations,
implementing a bus industry transition program, including a fleet scrapping program and
compensation mechanism, developing an effective public communications campaign and
delivering the BRT fleet, feeder e-vehicles, intelligent transport system, and a biogas plant.
 ADB will also administer a $37.2 million loan and an $11.8 million grant from the Green Climate
Fund (GCF).2

The GCF grant will finance climate change adaptation measures, including innovative drainage
features such as bioswales (landscape elements designed to concentrate or remove debris and
pollution out of surface runoff water); post-project emissions’ monitoring activities; and feeder
e-vehicles.

The GCF loan, the ADB statement continued, will finance the biogas plant and the incremental
cost of the transition from basic diesel bus technology to compressed natural gas hybrid bus
technology, with the biomethane extracted from cattle waste.

BRT Yellow Line:

The World Bank has approved $722 million loan for Pakistan that will largely be used for

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 improving civic and public transport facilities in Karachi – the largest metropolis that needs
nearly $10 billion additional investment to make it livable.

The World Bank was committing $652 million through three projects to strengthen institutions,
municipal services and infrastructure in Karachi, according to a handout that the local office of
the Washington-based lender issued on Friday. The board of directors of the World Bank
approved the loan a day earlier.

Karachi projects will focus on urban management, public transport, and safe water and
sanitation to enhance Karachi’s livability and competitiveness, said the World Bank.

The Karachi transformative strategy underlines that Pakistan’s largest city with a population of
16 million has “highly complex political economy, highly centralized but fragmented governance,
land contestation among many government entities, and weak institutional capacity have made
it difficult to manage the city’s development”.

The World Bank has approved $230 million loan for the Competitive and Livable City of Karachi
Project3 to improve urban management, service delivery and the business environment. It will
help improve performance and service delivery by local councils through performance-based
grants for urban management and infrastructure. The project will modernize the urban property
tax system, incentivize private sector participation in service delivery, enhance ease of doing
business, and improve solid waste management.

It has also approved $382 million loan for the Karachi Mobility Project that will improve access
to jobs, mobility, and safety through a Bus Rapid Transit system along the 21-km Yellow
Corridor. A key focus area of the project is to provide safe and secure transport for women’s
mobility. The corridor starts at Dawood Chowrangi in the east, runs through the Korangi
industrial area, and ends in Numaish at the city centre.

It is one of the five priority lines in the city’s transport plan and will benefit commuters along
Surjani town and Korangi industrial area. The project will reduce travel time, road traffic
fatalities, and reduce emissions.

Out of $382 million, an amount of $158.5 million will be used for reconstruction of road
infrastructure and related utilities improvement and shifting (eg street lighting, sewer/water
supply, drainage, oil pipeline) and non-motorised transport facilities such as motorcycle lanes,
footpaths and pedestrian crossing along the Yellow Line Corridor and its direct and feeder
service routes.

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https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/loans-credits/2019/06/27/competitive-and-livable-city-of-karachi-project
 Under component II, $260 million will be spent for the development and operationalisation of a
BRT system along the Yellow Corridor

BRT Purple Line:

The 9.7km Purple Line runs from Baldia to Shershah.

BRT Aqua Line:

The 11.8km Aqua Line runs from Hawks Bay to Gulbai.

Procurement Experience

The Karachi Mass transit Cell (KMTC). Transport and Mass Transit Department. Government of Sindh
(Authority/Procuring Agency), has launched the pilot BRTS project in association with the Public Private
Partnership Unit ("PPP Unit") Finance Department GOS.

The Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) was established by the SMTA Act 2016.

Under the administrative control of the Government of Sindh’s (GoS) Transport and Mass Transit
Department (TMTD). It has a province-wide remit and is responsible for the management and delivery of
the Transport Master Plan 2030, developed by the Government of Sindh, with the assistance of the
Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Domestic Political Support

Traffic congestion has been recognized as a major issue within the city of Karachi by the bureaucracy as
well as the politicians. Consequently, the project has received substantial support from both the
aforementioned arms of the government.

Project Precedent

The project is a first of its kind in the project of Sindh. However. BRT Systems have been around the
corner for o very long time now. The first BRT System was launched in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974. The BRT
System in Bogota. Colombia and Guangzhou. Chino ore two of the most famous and high-volume BRT
Systems in the world. Recently, South Asian region has also launched BRT Systems (Lahore, Pakistan and
Ahmadabad ln lndia).

The BRT System in Lahore and Guangzhou employed side stations instead of central median stations.
The disadvantage of side stations is that they take up two traffic tones as compared to just one for the
median station. Moreover, adding more lanes to the BRT System is very difficult and costly with side
solutions. In addition. the Lahore BRT System does not have o provision for a passing lone. The absence
of a passing lone severely restricts the capacity of the corridor. A BRT System with o passing lane can
cater up to a capacity of 45,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) as compared lo o maximum
of 13,000 pphpd without a passing lane. Keeping in light the lessons learnt from Guangzhou and Lahore.
the Karachi BRT System has employed central median stations and the provision of a passing lone
Wherever possible.