The work on the Karachi BRT Red Line project was progressing rapidly and it would be completed within the stipulated time in 2026 despite the delay made during the caretaker regime, Sindh Senior Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Saturday.

“The BRT Red Line is Pakistan’s first biogas-powered project and its vehicles will run on environment-friendly biogas,” he said during his visit to the 26.5km route with media persons.

Sharjeel, also the transport and mass transit minister, viewed the ongoing work on the project.

The work on the project was delayed by six to eight months during the previous caretaker government, but the elected government has accelerated the pace of work, he claimed.

“President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto wanted these projects to be completed as soon as possible,” Sharjeel said, “all resources are being utilised for the purpose and work was in progress at the Red Line project.”

He added that no negligence on the quality of the construction work of the project would be tolerated.

According to Sharjeel, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah already issued directions for the relocation of underground utility lines at the site of the project and the release of the required funds.

“In the first phase of the project, the work of the underpass has been completed in a short period of two months and only the shuttering has to be opened in that regard,” he said and added that the provincial government was also working with the World Bank on the Yellow Line BRT.

Sharjeel added that the provincial government was planning to launch an electric taxi service in the city, while the ‘Pink Electric Taxi’ service, having women drivers would also be started for ladies.

When asked, he said that the Sindh government has spent Rs2 billion on the Thar coal project and the electricity generated from the fuel was added to the national grid.