KARACHI: Abdul Sattar Edhi Orange Line started running on Karachi’s roads to cater for a large number of the city’s population. The fare has been kept at Rs20 amid rising petrol price.

“This is the best and cheap bus service,” Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said after inaugurating the bus service along with Faisal Edhi, the son of the late philanthropist, and Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani.

The BRT line is likely to facilitate 50,000 passengers daily and it has five stations while its depot has the capacity to park 30 buses. It would third bus after Peoples’ Bus Service and Green Line.

The ceremony was kept in a decent way as the country dealt with the flood situation.

Orange Line features

• Bus is fare from Rs10 to Rs20
• 3.88km track
• Four stations (Town Municipal Administration, Poney Panch Chowrangi, Abdul Sattar Chowrangi, Jinnah University Station)
• Rs5 will be added after every station

The project was launched by former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in June 2016 while later on December 14 provincial government renamed the Orange Line after the late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, in recognition of his services to the poor.

“Orange line is a fully funded project of the Sindh government. The PPP understands the burden on people,” he said, “we understand how the people are worried due to the expenses. Whatever the relief is to be given is the main target of Sindh government.”

Memon said that the provincial government would soon launch another project and cited it as “good news” for Karachi, however, refrained from announcing it.

“We are starting transport projects in every part of Sindh but for Karachi, there are more problems due to population. He stressed the need for expediting the work on projects in order to help people.

“The buses in which you will travel, you will see that no such type of buses plies in any country. This is a cheaper bus service and it has everything with regard to advanced technology so that they get every resource which they want.”

Memon said that the project was delayed due to “technical reasons”, citing that there were concerns from PTCL, K-Electric, and other institutions.

‘A bus system akin to Mumbai’s’

“We need a bus system akin to Mumbai. A system which runs on its own. We should copy that,” Faisal Edhi, the son of the late philanthropist, said while standing alongside the provincial ministers. He expressed hope that the Sindh government would do that.

Faisal, who has taken the reins of his late father’s charity organisation, said that Karachi needed such bus services. He called for expanding such transport services to far areas of the city.

Sense of ownership

Ghani, the provincial cabinet member, urged the people to look after the bus as the locomotive has been bought with the taxpayers’ money. He urged the people to own the bus and take advantage of it and complain if someone damages the bus.

“The more you will take care of them the more they [buses] will run,” he said, “unfortunately if citizens or others cause damage to these buses and no one stops them, ultimately citizens will suffer. I request you all that these are your buses take care of them so that they can run for long.”