Karachi to get dedicated heavy vehicle terminal

KARACHI: The Sindh Government has announced its plans to construct a modern terminal facility for trucks, trailers, and other such heavy vehicles on the Northern Bypass of the city to cope with increasing traffic pressure.

In addition, a special corridor will be created between Karachi Port and the proposed terminal site to facilitate cargo transport.

This announcement came at a board meeting held by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA), presided over by the Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. The attendees included Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Islam Sheikh, Transport Secretary Asad Zamin, SMTA Managing Director Saleemullah Odho, and DIG Traffic Pir Muhammad Shah.

In his statement, Sharjeel said that the move would decrease the number of heavy trucks on city roads and thus enhance the efficiency of the transport system.

The meeting discussed many other projects for improving the urban transport network, reducing traffic stress, and encouraging green transport in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur.

The Board passed a resolution for launching the EV Taxi project as soon as possible and also gave approval to open financial bids by the end of this month.

It was also agreed to procure 50 double decker buses in Karachi with 126-seating capacity each to enhance facilities of public transport.

The decision to empower women was taken by the purchase of 500 more pink scooters. According to the minister, these will be distributed among women in Hyderabad on May 22, calling it a "revolutionary" step which has helped changed societal perceptions.

Under the PPP arrangement, it was also decided to buy 500 EV buses. Out of these, 450 will run on 25 routes in Karachi while the remaining 50 on 5 routes in Hyderabad.