Sharjeel announces affordable, environment-friendly electric taxi service for Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon announced that a modern, affordable and environment-friendly electric taxi service would soon be launched from Karachi, which would be extended to other major cities of the province.

The minister made this announcement while talking to media persons after inspecting the under-construction Bus Rapid Transport Red Line project launched with the cooperation of the Asian Development Bank, here on Sunday.

He said that negotiations were underway on electric taxi service project and Sindh government was working seriously on the project and it will be finalized soon.

‘The existing online taxi services in city were charging very high fares. Sindh government was endeavouring to provide affordable taxi service to the citizens,’ he said adding that the leadership of Pakistan People’s Party has directed to expedite pace of work on all the ongoing public transport projects in Karachi so as to address the long-standing transport issue of city.

He said that public transport projects with investment of billions of rupees had been launched in city. Sindh Mass Transit Authority was working day and night to increase the number of buses in the city and improve the transport infrastructure.

He said that the work on 22 kilometer BRT Red Line was in process at rapid pace.

It starts from Malir Halt and passes through University Road before it’s integration with green line at Numaish Chowrangi. He said that BRT Red Line launched with the assistance of Asian development bank and it is Pakistan’s first project, which will be run on biogas.

In this regard, the construction of Pakistan’s first biogas plant will be started soon. He said that Sindh has the honor of starting the first electric bus service in Pakistan in the field of public transport and now the work on BRT red line running on eco-friendly biogas is in progress.

He said that Sindh Transport Department had started Orange Line and People’s Bus Service. Soon electric bus service will also start it’s formal operations in the city. He said that the work on the BRT Yellow Line project with the support of the World Bank was in the final stages, the construction of which will also commence soon. He said that all major cities of the world have modern public transport system including BRT service.

Sindh government endeavouring to bring modern public transport system in Karachi which is the financial hub of the country. The minister further said that Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was a very old project. With the efforts of Chief Minister Sindh, the project had been included in the CPEC projects.

In response to a question, he said that all federal institutions, including the Malir Cantonment Board, had taken ownership of the BRT Red Line project and were extending full support in the construction of project. He said that all encroachments in the corridor of BRT Red Line project will be removed and Karachi administrations had been given a week to remove all encroachments in the way Red Line Corridor.

On Imran Khan’s resignations from the assemblies, he said that the announcement of resignation from all assemblies was a conspiracy to fool the people.

He said that Imran Khan staged long-march for seeking the date for next general election but he ended with the announcement of resignation.

if they were serious to resign, then Imran Khan should show grace, start the resignations with President Arif Alvi.

He said that Imran Khan had not launched a single project for the welfare of the people during his three and a half years of government.

He wasted his entire tenure in suppressing his political opponents. Now, he (Imran) wants to stop current coalition government not to launch any public welfare project in remaining one year tenure of present assemblies.

Sharjeel said that Imran Khan was following the one-point agenda to cause damage to the country in one way or the other.

He further said that state institutions were again targeted in the public gathering in Islamabad the other day. Imran Khan’s way of politics was not good for Pakistan. He said that negative approach in politics was the biggest proof of failure of Imran Khan.

He said that the current ruling coalition will continue the struggle for the development, prosperity and democracy in Pakistan. He said that yesterday’s meeting of Imran Khan was a corner meeting, people were invited from all over Pakistan, but not even a single road could be filled.

He said that the day was not far when Imran Khan will be behind the bars and there were reports that the rooms of Adiala jail were being cleaned.

In response to a question, he said that Pervaiz Elahi was a wise Chief Minister, he got power by luck. This time Parvez Elahi had become the Chief Minister of Punjab by accident, he will never resign on the advice of a fool person like Imran Khan.

He said that Imran Khan’s own MNAs and MPs will not agree to Imran Khan’s resignation proposal. He recalled that Imran Khan had announced to resign from the assemblies. But few months later, his elected MNAs from Lyari and Jacobabad took a U-turn and said that he had not resigned. The provincial minister said that PTI will not be allowed to run away from the field in that manner.

Sharjeel said that present government will remove them in the political way very soon as per the vision of its leadership.

On the occasion, the provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon inspected the development work of BRT Red Line corridor at Jinahh Avenue. Secretary Transport Abdul Haleem Shaikh and other senior officers of transport department accompanied by him.