Sindh to buy 50 new double-decker buses for Karachi, 500 scooties for women

The Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) has approved the purchase of 50 new double-decker buses for Karachi in an effort to improve the city’s public transport system.

The decision was made during an SMTA board meeting chaired by Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. Speaking during the meeting, Sharjeel Inam Memon said each double-decker bus would be able to carry up to 126 passengers, which would help reduce the growing burden on Karachi’s public transport network.

The board also approved the procurement of 500 more Pink EV Scooties for women under the provincial government’s women-focused transport initiative. According to the minister, the new scooties will be distributed among women in Hyderabad on May 22.

Memon described the Pink EV Scooty Scheme as a major step toward women’s empowerment. He said the distribution of 1,000 scooties over the past year had not only improved mobility for women but also contributed to changing social attitudes.

During the meeting, the board further gave approval for the purchase of 500 electric buses through a public-private partnership model. Under the plan, 450 buses will operate on 25 routes in Karachi, while the remaining 50 buses will run on five routes in Hyderabad.

The minister also announced plans to establish five modern depots for electric vehicles across Sindh. Four of the depots will be set up in Karachi, while one will be built in Hyderabad.

He added that the next phase of EV bus services would also be launched in Sukkur as the government looks to expand environmentally friendly and modern transport facilities to other parts of the province.