Fresh bids to be considered for Orange Line project

[Salman]

Karachi: The first phase of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) – Green Line and Orange Line – in Karachi is scheduled to begin by mid-December after a month long delay caused by ‘unavoidable reasons’.

According to a news report on December 3, the Orange Line project could not commence in the first week of November because offers received from the bidding companies were ‘highly impracticable’.

The lowest bid amounted to PKR 2.2 billion, which was 80% higher than the PKR 1.3 billion the government consultant Nespak recommended. This compelled the authorities to seek fresh bids in December.

The provincial government provided PKR 200 million to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd, and the National Telecommunication Corporation to relocate utilities along the Orange Line route. This relocation will reportedly be completed in the next two months, as will the process of bidding. The successful bidder will be expected to finish work by the end of next year.

The Green Line project, too, will begin by the second or third week of December.

BRTS-I is expected to revolutionise the city’s existing transport system, according to officials. Areas such as Orangi and the Board Office, Nazimabad, will be easily connected