Provincial Minister Sharjeel Memon said that the BRT Red Line Bus Rapid Transit project could take a year or more to complete, citing ongoing challenges that have delayed progress.
Speaking to media, he added that the government has directed completion of side roads of the project before Eid and is focusing on clearing the University Road area soon.
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Project Timeline and Progress
The minister said that work on University Road and Jinnah Avenue is expected to finish within two to three months. Construction on Shahrah-e-Bhutto extending to M-9 is planned to start by the end of March or early April.
He acknowledged that certain challenges had temporarily threatened to halt the project, but the Sindh government decided to continue and complete it.
Sindh shares completion timeline for BRT Red, Yellow Line in Karachi
Customs Duty Issues
Sharjeel Memon highlighted a significant issue affecting the project: new buses for the Red Line have been held up by Customs for the last two months. He said Sindh is being charged 17–18% duty, whereas Punjab was charged only 1%.
“We have written to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) demanding equal treatment for all provinces,” the minister added.
Development Commitment
The senior minister emphasized that Karachi is witnessing large-scale development works and said the Sindh government is committed to completing all projects despite obstacles.
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“Some people are prone to spread frustration, but the Sindh government will complete all projects at any cost,” he said.
