The Sindh Policy Board approves the purchase of 500 electric vehicle buses under a public-private partnership model to expand Karachi’s public transport system on multiple new routes.
Sindh Senior Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon announced that the provincial government has approved the purchase of 500 new electric vehicle (EV) buses for Karachi. The minister shared this update during the Sindh Assembly session on May 18. He stated that the transport department will introduce these buses through a public-private partnership model.
Out of the total 500 vehicles, the transport department will deploy 450 EV buses on 25 routes in Karachi, while the remaining 50 buses will operate on five routes in Hyderabad. The provincial administration will establish four modern EV charging depots across Karachi and one in Hyderabad to support the incoming fleet.
Expanded Routes for Densely Populated Areas
The official announcement came in response to a call-attention notice by MQM-P lawmaker Naseer Ahmed regarding the shortage of transport facilities from Surjani Chowrangi to Banaras Chowk.
According to the transport department, the upcoming 500 EV buses will initially run on three primary routes. These corridors will link the following locations:
- Ittehad Town
- Banaras Colony
- Liaquatabad
- Jahangir Road
- Cantt Station
The minister stated that additional new routes will cover the following:
- Orangi Ghaziabad
- Iqbal Market
- Walika
- Nazimabad Number 2
- Ayesha Manzil
- Zahoor Chowk
According to official data, daily ridership on the Karachi Orange Line has already increased from 2,000 to 9,500 passengers. This expansion follows a recent launch of a separate EV route from Gulshan-e-Maymar to Tower.
Project Updates and Financial Details
According to the transport ministry, the government has also decided to shift the BRT Red Line project completely to electric vehicles instead of the originally planned hybrid models. The senior minister stated that the government will provide the necessary land, charging infrastructure, and depot spaces for the private partners.
According to official reports, the transport department is also fast-tracking plans to establish an EV taxi service and introduce 50 double-decker buses in Karachi to ease traffic pressure.
