Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, is home to roughly 22.5 million people, due to which the city is also known as “mini Pakistan”.
Federal and provincial governments have recently introduced many different types of public transport projects in Karachi to cater to its ever-increasing number of commuters.
Without any further ado, let’s learn more about the different modes of public transport in Karachi.
DIFFERENT MODES OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN KARACHI
For commuting or moving from one point to another in Karachi, you can use the following modes of transportation:
MINIBUSES & FULL-SIZE BUSES
Running for decades, these are the cheapest means of transportation in Karachi. The routes and minimum fare are mentioned below for your reference.
| Buses | Routes |
| D10 Mini Bus Route | Korangi 100 Quarters to Taiser Town |
| F16 Mini Bus Route | Mianwali Colony to Machine Tool Factory |
| S2 Mini Bus Route | Korangi 100 Quarters to Ayub Goth |
| W18 Mini Bus Route | From Surjani Town to Fish Harbour |
| X8 Mini Bus Route | From Ittihad Town to Qayyumabad |
| X10 Mini Bus Route | From Mohajir Camp to DHA Phase 8 |
| W22 Mini Bus Route | Nai Abadi to Korangi No. 2 1/2 |
| F11 Mini Bus Route | From Gul Ahmed Textile Mills to Mustafabad Colony |
| G25 Mini Bus Route | From Ittihad Town to Rasheedabad |
| Gulistan Coach Route | From Pehlwan Goth to Qayyumabad |
| Safari Coach Route | From Maroora Goth to Mianwali Colony |
| Data Coach Route | From KDA Site Office to Abdul Shah Ghazi Mazar |
| Super Hasan Zai Coach Route | From Sohrab Goth to KDA |
| N-4 Mini Bus Route | Islam Nagar to Korangi Road |
| W-11 Mini Bus Route | New Karachi Allahwala Masjid to Keamari |
| W-22 Mini Bus Route | Naiabadi to Korangi No. 2 1/2 |
Mini Bus Fare in Karachi
The starting fare of these age-old buses is PKR 25.
PEOPLES BUS SERVICE
Peoples Bus Service started in June 2022. The provincial government’s public transport system is now serving three cities in Sindh: Karachi, Larkana and Hyderabad.
Number of Peoples Buses in Karachi
According to the project’s master plan, the Sindh government will bring 240 buses on the road of Karachi. In the starting phases, 140 buses were added to the fleet of the mass transit project, out of which Karachi got 130 buses while the rest were deployed in Larkana. Similarly, after the recent launch, 10 buses of the project are running in Hyderabad.
Peoples Bus Service Routes in Karachi
| Peoples Bus Route 1 | Model Colony to Tower |
| Peoples Bus Route 2 | North Karachi to Landhi |
| Peoples Bus Route 3 | Nagan Chowrangi to Singer Chowrangi |
| Peoples Bus Route 4 | North Karachi to Dockyard |
| Peoples Bus Route 5 | Surjani Town to Masroor Base |
| Peoples Bus Route 6 | Gulshan-e-Bihar Orangi to Singer Chowrangi |
| Peoples Bus Route 7 | Mosamiyat to Baldia Town |
| Peoples Bus Route 9 | Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Tower |
| Peoples Bus Route 10 | Numaish to Sea View |
| Peoples Bus Route 11 | Shireen Jinnah Colony to Meeran Naka, Lyari |
To learn more about all the routes of Karachi’s Peoples Bus Service and their operational status, take a look at this piece.
Features of Peoples Bus Service
Peoples Bus Service offers a myriad of features for a comfortable and safe travelling experience.
- Small, easy-to-climb steps
- Separate compartment for women
- Railing and handgrips for safety
- Emergency stop buttons
- Air-conditioned interiors
- Comfortable seating arrangements
Seating Capacity of Peoples Bus
Each bus has the capacity to seat 40 passengers in one go.
Timings & Fare of Peoples Bus Service
The different routes of Peoples Bus Service operate between 7 am and 8 pm daily with a ticket price starting from PKR 25 to PKR 100.
GREEN LINE BUS PROJECT
Inaugurated in December 2021, the Green Line BRT service has a projected route from Merewether Tower to Surjani Town. With 11 out of 22 Green Line stations currently accessible, it is now partially operational.
List of Karachi Green Line Bus Stations
- Numaish Chowrangi
- Lasbela Chowk
- Nazimabad Chowrangi
- Eid Gah Ground
- North Nazimabad
- KDA Chowrangi
- Nagan Chowrangi
- U.P. More
- PowerHouse Roundabout
- 4K Chowrangi
- Surjani Town
Green Line Route Length and Number of Buses in Karachi
The fleet of Green Line Metro is based on 40 buses with a total route length of 26 kilometres.
Features of Green Line Bus Service in Karachi
Some of the most noteworthy features of Green Line BRT are listed below:
- Total capacity to facilitate 300,000 passengers daily
- Pedestrian-friendly walkways and overhead bridges
- Metro stations with elevators and escalators
- Latest safety features installed in buses
- Buses with low heights to facilitate differently-abled people
- State-of-the-art ticket vending machines
Seating Capacity of Green Line Bus Service
Each metro bus on the Green Line route has 40 seats with a capacity of carrying up to 150 passengers comfortably. During rush hours, this number could go up to 190.
Green Line Bus Fare & Timings
The ticket price for Green Line Bus starts at PKR 15 and goes up to PKR 55. However, using Green Line Metro Card would be cheaper for daily passengers. The card has a one-time cost of PKR 100 and you can recharge it as per your usage.
The mega mass transit project was constructed between 2016 and 2022. It is owned and run by the federal government. Check out our blog on Green Line Metrobus in Karachi for more information.
ORANGE LINE BRT PROJECT
Also known as Abdul Sattar Edhi Line, the bus service was inaugurated in September 2022. The Jinnah University Station of the Edhi Orange Line is just a short walk away from Green Line’s Board Office station, so travellers can easily switch between the two BRT projects to continue their journey.
Total Length of Orange Line BRT project
The Orange Line bus service has been planned with a route that stretches only 3.9 kilometres. It is probably the shortest BRT project in Pakistan. It connects AO Chowk in Nazimabad to Nishan-e-Haider Chowk in Orangi Town.
Number of Orange Line Buses
With a fleet of around 20 vehicles, this metro bus service in Karachi is designed to cater to a daily ridership count of more than 50,000 passengers.
Orange Line Stations
- Jinnah University
- Abdullah College
- Pone Panch Chowrangi
- TMA Orangi Town
Features of Orange Bus Service in Karachi
Here are some key features of Abdul Sattar Edhi Line BRT are listed below:
- Pedestrian-friendly walkways and overhead bridges
- Metro stations with elevators and escalators
- Latest safety features installed in buses
- Buses with low heights to facilitate differently-abled people
- Modern ticketing system
Timings & Fare of Orange Line Bus Karachi
The route of Orange Line BRT operates between 7 am and 8 pm daily with a base fare starting at PKR 25.
To get all the latest updates on the Edhi Orange Line BRT project, don’t forget to check out this blog.
TAXIS, RICKSHAWS & THE RELATIVELY NEW RIDE-HAILING SERVICES
Finding a taxi stand in Karachi is now almost impossible, thanks in part to the presence of many different ride-hailing services in the city. These inventions of the modern age have made it very easy for commuters and travellers to move from point A to point B in the city.
However, there are still many rickshaw stands in Karachi, most of which are usually temporary. Rickshaw drivers often park near commercial centres on busy roads. They are often fined or asked to leave by the authorities for violating no parking regulations.
KARACHI CIRCULAR RAILWAY (KCR)
The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) began its operations in 1969. Initially, the KCR line stretched between Drigh Road and City Station. However, in the 1970s, the railway line was extended several times to add more stations to the KCR network. At the time when Karachi Circular Railway was at its peak, it had 104 trains running daily through many of the city’s residential and commercial areas.
Due to constant monetary losses and some persistent operational issues, the KCR came to a complete halt in the 1990s. After months of effort and planning, the KCR service has finally been relaunched on February 10, 2021. In the initial phase of its relaunch, Karachi Circular Railway is running on a 14-kilometre-track between Orangi and Karachi City Station.
The government is also planning to modernise the KCR project by introducing electric trains and modernising its infrastructure. According to the details shared, the upcoming KCR project is conceived to be a 43-kilometre dual-track rail mass transit system.
There would be 33 stations built along its corridor, connecting key areas in the megacity. Although the finances of the project have been okayed by the concerned authorities, the project is still in the pipeline and the development work is yet to begin. It would take three years for this large-scale transportation project to be completed.
ELECTRIC BUSES IN KARACHI: ROUTE, FARE & TIMINGS
Is Karachi on the road to becoming Pakistan’s first green city? Well, the launch of the country’s first electric bus service in the megacity has significantly increased the relevance of this question. The groundbreaking transportation project was launched on Jan 13. It turned out to be the very first welcoming news of 2023 for Karachiites.
MORE ABOUT ELECTRIC BUSES IN KARACHI
The electric bus service in Karachi is based on a fleet of air-conditioned electric vehicles (EVs). Their spacious interiors and comfortable seats are designed to make your travelling experience delightful. These buses have powerful batteries installed that are capable of going up to 240 km on a single charge.
KARACHI ELECTRIC BUS ROUTE
As of now, only one route i.e. Route 12 of the electric bus service is operational. However, the Sindh Mass Transit Authority has plans to announce further routes of the bus service soon.
Running from Malir to Sea View, this route connects many popular roads and landmarks in the city. Details are listed below:
- Tank Chowk, Malir (Starting Point)
- Khayaban-e-Jinnah
- Airport
- Drigh Road
- Shahrah-e-Faisal
- PECHS Block 6
- Nursery
- Sindhi Muslim
- FTC
- Korangi Road
- Kala Pul
- DHA Phase 1
- DHA Phase 2 & 2 Ext.
- Khayaban-e-Ittehad
- DHA Phase 7 & 7 Ext.
- DHA Phase 6
- DHA Phase 8
- Clock Tower, Sea View Beach (Ending Point)
ELECTRIC BUS KARACHI FARE
The newly launched electric bus service for the megacity offers a world-class intracity travelling experience at an unbelievably low fare. It can take you from Malir to Sea View Beach, which is a distance of around 26 km, in just PKR 50/-
PINK BUS SERVICE IN KARACHI: ROUTE, FARE, TIMINGS & MORE
Green, orange, red, white — and now pink — the city of Karachi has the most colourful network of public buses and BRTs. This newly announced Pink Bus service will be women-exclusive. The provincial transport minister said the upcoming Pink Bus Service would primarily facilitate women commuters, both students and working professionals.
Pink Bus Karachi, Route Map
Reportedly, the pink buses would run from Model Colony to Merewether via Shahrah-e-Faisal. To cater to the high demand during morning and evening peak hours, a bus would be available after every 20 minutes. However, the frequency of the buses will be one vehicle per hour for the rest of the day.
Pink Bus Karachi Latest News
Watch this space for more important updates regarding Karachi’s first public bus service for women only.
NEW ROUTES COMING SOON
Have you spotted a pink bus in Karachi yet? If not, you would soon. The provincial transport minister in collaboration with the Sindh Mass Transit Authority is planning to introduce more routes for the Pink Bus Service in Karachi.
The first route of the bus service, which runs between Model Colony and Tower was launched on Feb 1, 2023. The authorities are not planning to expand the route network of pink buses in Karachi but also to add more vehicles to the fleet. For more updates regarding the newly introduced women-only bus service in Pakistan’s largest city, stay tuned.
MAJOR UPGRADES PLANNED FOR THE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN KARACHI
After the opening of the Green Line Bus Project, the provincial government launched Orange Line and is now working on the Red Line BRT project. It is a transportation project based on hybrid buses. Let’s learn more about this upcoming project.
RED LINE BRT PROJECT
Being developed as an ultramodern yet sustainable mass transportation project, Red Line Metrobus in Karachi would have a fleet of hybrid buses powered by diesel and biogas. Biomethane gas is a special type of fuel extracted from cow dung. For the successful operations and sustenance of this upcoming bus service, a large-scale biogas plant, spanning 31 acres, will be set up in Bhens Colony.
The route of the Red Line bus service starts from Malir Halt and goes all the way to Tower via Numaish Chowrangi, catering to thousands of commuters on a daily basis. If everything goes as planned, it would become the city’s first environmentally-friendly transportation project.
The Red Line BRT project is based on two corridors with a total length of 29 kilometres. As per the proposed route, this upcoming public transport in Karachi would have 24 bus stations, passing through 13 major intersections around the city. The key infrastructure features of the project include 10 overhead bridges and seven underpasses.
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