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The context of the study is the deteriorating situation of public transport in Karachi which
includes primarily, the bus system. The worsening situation and the stalled improvement
schemes have led the Government of Pakistan (through the Planning and Development Division
in collaboration with the GOS/CDGK) to instigate this study for the development of a bus
development plan with a view to introduce approximately 8000 new environmentally friendly
buses for Karachi.
Systemic failures of policy, regulation and management have resulted in poor standards of bus
service and marginal operations under the private sector. Bus operators struggle to survive
under the prevailing conditions of rising costs and on-road competition, leading to illegal
behavior and unsafe operations as they seek to reduce costs and maximize returns. Despite
recent investments into bus operations, the industry has failed to provide the operational and
investment climate for many operators to survive or to invest further.
The present conditions of the bus transport system cause extreme hardship and stress for the
people of Karachi in the course of their day to day lives, impacting significantly on social and
economic wellbeing and the quality of life. Furthermore, the wider urban transit problems of
traffic congestion, air and noise pollution cause significant economic and social costs to the
city, and for its people, and a decline in health and quality of life, including the loss of
opportunity in work, education and social activities.
The scale of the problem is enormous, and exceeds the capacity for government to fund its way
out of the problem by traditional means. New strategies must be developed and a
comprehensive solution found (why continue to do the same things and expect different
results?)
Karachi has a history of transport planning projects that have never been implemented due to a
variety of factors; some financial and some political. The present problems at hand are so
critical that the ‘do-nothing option’ is no longer an option.
This study proposes to create sustainable solutions for bus transport development involving a
sound development strategy so as to build a solid platform of understanding and consensus to
support the recommendations. It is hoped that this approach will assist to build sufficient
confidence to enable implementation. Furthermore, the study has sought a high level of
stakeholder participation and contribution, in order to develop practical and implementable
solutions that address the unique and specific needs of Karachi.
The proposals will approach bus transit reform on the basis of a ‘logical framework’ that
identifies each essential component related to bus transit and demonstrate how the linkages
work together to create system viability and sustainability.
Bus transit cannot be designed effectively in isolation from issues of city development, so an
integrated approach with city development and infrastructure is necessary. A new bus route
network plan will be developed to develop an efficient and demand oriented passenger system.
While improvements rely fundamentally on a proper regulatory and operating environment for
buses, new technologies are also assisting bus systems to be more reliable and convenient. Bus
Rapid Transit is increasingly being recognized as the new generation of mass transit solutions
and is being developed to high standards of service at comparatively low cost. This study will
evaluate the feasibility of such systems for Karachi to develop bus mass transit options.
The study also covers many ancillary issues such as funding, finance, bus procurement,
environmental issues and infrastructure requirements to provide a proposal that addresses all
the necessary issues toward implementation.

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