KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday launched Green Line Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) project, which will facilitate around 135,000 commuters of Karachi city.
The BRTS is a landmark project worth Rs.35.5 billion as it will provide facility to Karachi’s Western and Central Districts commuters.
The Green Line BRTS system, which included 21 stations along with ticketing rooms, escalators and stairs, also had the facility of backup generators to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity.
Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives got this federal government project through Sindh Infrastructure Development Company (SIDCL).
Prime Minister Imran Khan while addressing the inaugural ceremony said that as any modern city cannot be successfully run without a modern transport system, the Green Line project will help fulfill modern day transportation requirements of the residents of Karachi.
Describing Karachi as an “engine of growth” for the country, he said, the prosperity of Karachi was considered as the prosperity of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said that with every country having a city including London in UK, Paris in France and New York in the United States contributed in country’s development and prosperity, the success Karachi will also help Pakistan achieve progress and prosperity.
He described the federal government’s Green Line project as first step towards the modernization of Karachi in terms of transport, adding, governments in the past did not focus on modern transportation system for the mega city.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that since he was seeing Karachi for the last 50 years, he had also seen this mega city transforming from “a city of lights” to “ruins” due to lack of management support system.
He said that despite sanctions on Iran, its capital Tehran had become a modern and prosperous city with all civic facilities due to modern management system like any capital of the developed countries including London, Paris and New York.
The Prime Minister said that Tehran, which did receive any funds from the public sector development program like in Pakistan, its collects and generates around US $ 500 million [per annum] in local revenue as against Karachi which might be collecting something around US $ 30 million.
