KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday launched the first route of the electric bus service under its Peoples Bus Service programme.

The electric bus will ferry passengers from Karachi Airport to Seaview.

Sindh Information, Transport and Mass Transit Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon along with Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani inaugurated the bus service.

They reviewed facilities in the service and also had their first ride in the bus.

“This is Pakistan’s first electric bus service, which is being started today from Karachi. These are environment-friendly buses, which will run on electricity.” said Mr Memon while talking to reporters.

He said that there was no bus service for people intending to go to the airport (from Seaview, Clifton) and they had to use private vehicles or cabs which cost them around Rs 1,500. “But in this EV bus service, they can now travel to the airport for just Rs50,” he said.

Capable of covering a distance of 240 kilometres from a single charge, the European standard buses will not cause any pollution.

The bus service is being started from Tank Chowk near Jinnah Avenue to pass through Airport, Sharea Faisal, FTC, Korangi Road, Khayaban-i Ittehad to reach Clock Tower at Seaview.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2023