All aboard the Green Line

KARACHI: “Every citizen like me had been waiting a long time for this project to be completed. Even though it is a late start, I am happy residents of Karachi have finally got a good transport service for themselves”, stated Zunehra, a college student.

Expressing her satisfaction over travelling on the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, she said that since the launch of this service, she had never used the old public buses where she had to bear pollution, uncomfortable seating and above all, the suffocating environment amid harsh weather.

She also applauded the service being on time and added, “Travelling in the Green Line saves my time. It usually took me 40 minutes to come from Numaish to Nazimabad. But now I reach in 15 minutes only and this service is not less than a blessing for me,” the college student elaborated while sharing her experience of travelling in the air-conditioned bus.

The federally-funded mass transit project became operational a month ago. The service was announced by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in July 2014. The foundation stone of the 17.8 kilometres (km) long track from Surjani to Gurumandir was laid on February 26, 2016. Later, it was extended to Tower. The project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on December 10, 2021, and the service started limited operations for citizens on Dec 25, 2021.

However from January 10 onwards, the BRT has become fully operational with 22 stations and 80 buses operating from 7am to 10 pm. Passengers can avail the bus service from 11 stations built in Surjani, Abdullah Chowk, Do Minute Chowrangi, Powerhouse, Nagan Chowrangi, Juma Bazaar, Hyderi, Board Office, Nazimabad No. 1, Sanitary Market and Numaish.

Speaking to Bol News, Yumna said that she comes from Saleem Centre and travels to Numaish Chowrangi. From there she takes another traditional public bus to get to Civil Hospital for her internship.

“The BRT system is more convenient than the traditional buses. I found it cheaper and more comfortable. I use the card system and have to pay Rs35 only. I wish there could be more such lines on other routes as well,” she observed. She also hoped that the service would remain operational in the same way and the maintenance would continue as well. A commuter said that “Its stations should be extended till Tower sooner for the ease of commuters. I have to take another bus to reach the Civil Hospital and being a doctor, time matters a lot to me.” She also considered the safety of her belongings and her own safety as a primary reason to utilise the Green Line service.

Content commuters

People using Green Line BRT are reportedly content. The service has gained the public’s attention with more children taking rides on the buses. Amina, a housewife, brought her three children along with her to try the bus ride. “My kids used to get excited whenever they saw these giant buses passing by and wanted to take a ride on it. Today, I managed to find time to bring my children for a cosy ride.”

Amina and her kids enjoyed the ride but they had to travel all the way from Surjani to Numaish station. However, she says she has reservations over the same fare for one or all stations. “I had to pay Rs55 each for the three of us. I have asked at the ticket counter about a fare of a few stations expecting a lower fare but I found out that I would have to pay Rs55 whether I take a ride to one stop or all the way to the last station at Numaish,” she commented.

While discussing the matter of fare being charged for one or all stations, Abdul Aziz, senior manager of the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SIDCL), said that the bus service was operating under state-of-the-art Intelligent Transport System (ITS). “The plastic card is connected to the ITS machines installed on the entrance and exit doors which keeps the system transparent.”

The maximum one-way fare is Rs55 and minimum is Rs15 but the paper ticket tariff is uniform to make it transparent and to avoid loss. There is a possibility of fraud by conductors or ticket bookers as we cannot possibly monitor every passenger with a paper ticket. A passenger might take a ticket for the nearest station but keep going further without paying the required fare and this will cause a loss to the bus service.

Bugs in the system

Waheedul Hassan, 70, has chronic heart disease and high blood pressure issues. While taking a ride on the BRT, he said, “It is a very good service being provided but its spirit is incomplete till the old citizens like me also gain benefits from the service. I am a heart patient but had to take such a long staircase on foot because lifts and escalators are non-functional. I would like to use this service if the escalator gets operational.”

He also pointed out that inside the bus, there is no one to facilitate senior citizens. He explained that the last time he travelled on the service he had to keep standing throughout the ride because the seats for male passengers were also occupied by ladies and none of them vacated their seats for an old man like him. While addressing the issue of non-operational facilities, Aziz told Bol News that the escalators and lifts were installed three years ago and they had been non-operational.

Meanwhile, dust, rain and lack of use resulted in malfunctioning of many escalators and lifts till the buses were brought on the route. “We have been working day and night to bring everything back to proper functioning. Soon this issue of escalators being out of order will be resolved.”

Capacity of buses

According to Abdul Aziz, a single bus can accommodate a total of 240 commuters, with seating space for 140 of them. While speaking about the number of people who have benefitted from the service, he informed that the number of commuters on weekdays has been around 30,000 to 40,000 so far but on weekends the number tends to jump to 50,000.

He highlighted that it is a ramp-up period and it took six months to a year to develop a system completely and the number of commuters is expected to double.

He also informed that the Orange Line’s road infrastructure is almost complete and it will also become functional in three to four months once the buses are provided by the federal government.

On reaching Numaish, it was revealed that the escalator was not working and the same was the fate of walkthrough gates due to electricity failure. One of the workers assigned the cleaning duty pointed out that the red stains on the flooring were of people spitting paan on the floor and walls of the station.

“Although cleanliness is being maintained by the authorities concerned, it is the responsibility of the citizens too to keep their city and belongings clean. These facilities are for the public and should also be owned by them so that everyone can enjoy a clean and well-maintained environment,” he explained.