Karachi: Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Friday laid the foundation stone of the Orange Line Transport System (OLTS) that aims to cater to the growing need for public transport in the country’s largest city.
The 1.14 billion rupees (Dh39.79 million) transportation project would initially be constructed for four kilometres from Korangi and it would have the capacity to ferry 50,000 passengers per hour. The project has been designed to add another five kilometres at a later stage.
At the launch ceremony, Shah said that the transportation problem was one of the pressing issues facing the mega city and his government was committed to resolving it on a priority basis.
He added that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government had also conceived of six Rapid Bus Transport (RBT) projects, of which one was being implemented by the federal government. However, he contended that the Orange Line project was fully financed by the provincial government.
Shah announced that two more transportation projects would soon be launched under the public-private partnership model.
He further claimed that the PPP government had launched a number of infrastructure projects for Karachi including the K-IV water project. He said that all documentation work for the mega water project had been completed.
The water project envisages daily water supply of 260 million gallons that would cater to more than 80 per cent of the city’s needs.
Addressing the gathering, the provincial secretary for transportation said that the Orange Line project would answer to the needs for an integrated transport system for Karachi.
