The Sindh government will pay Rs 1.3 billion subsidy annually for the operation of Yellow Bus Rapid Transit, which is the part of Karachi Urban Mobility Project, official documents indicated. The operational subsidy for the project was estimated at Rs 1.7 billion in the original PC-I of the project. However, it was revised downward to Rs 1.3 billion in the revised PC-I of the project, which was recommended to Ecnec for approval early this month.
The total cost of the project has also been reduced to Rs 56.056 billion compared to Rs 61.439 billion in the original PC-I. Out of the total cost of the project, the Sindh government would share five percent whereas rest of the funding would come from international financial institution. International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD) of the World Bank would provide Rs 53.480 billion funding for the project, which in dollar terms stands at $336.71 million.
Share of the provincial government has been estimated at Rs 2.576 billion. The project is comprised three components. Component-I is consisted of urban road infrastructure along the Yellow BRT Corridor and component-II is related to development and operationalisation of a BRT system along the corridor. Component-III is about capacity building and technical assistance.
Yellow Line Corridor will start from Korangi Industrial Area (8000 Road) Dawood Chorangi in Landhi to Jam Sadiq Bridge and passing through KPT interchange to FTC interchange, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Shahrah-e-Quaideen to Kashmir Road intersection (integration point with Red BRT corridor). The corridor of the project is 21 kms long with 17.6 kms at grade and 3.4 kms underpass dedicated bus rapid system having 28 stations.
For this project, 268 buses would be procured as well as an ITS system and fare collection systems would also be purchased. The government of Sindh would bear the expenses of relocation of utilities coming in the way of corridor of yellow line. Yellow Line Project will be developed and completed in four to six years. It is estimated that more than 400,000 people will benefit from this project, particularly people living and working along the Korangi industrial area. The project will improve the safe and secure accessibility of women and people with limited mobility to jobs and other economic activities.
The project will also focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and other environmental benefits by shifting road users from polluting transport modes (eg old, poorly maintained buses and motorcycles) to lower carbon modes (eg cleaner BRT buses and non-motorized transport), and by providing resilient transport infrastructure and increasing the capacity of authorities to deal with disaster situations.
The project will help in reductions in travel time, particularly for public transport passengers, improvement in public transport quality of service, increase women ridership in public transport; reduction in road traffic fatalities; accessibility improvements for jobs and housing and reduction in hazardous emissions.