Karachi: Pakistan is planning to launch bio-powered and zero-emission transport services, a news source quoted Advisor on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam.
According to Aslam, Karachi’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network will be Pakistan’s first ever zero-emission public transport system. It will check the pumping of over 2.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the air over the next thirty years.
As fuel, the fleet of 200 BRT busses will use cow manure; processed in biogas plants for conversion. The said project will incur a cost of over $500 million. The majority of funds will be sourced from the Sindh government, United Nations Green Climate Fund, and Asian Development Bank.
The BRT network will feature 30 kilometres of a fully segregated corridor. This corridor will have bus stations, bike-sharing facilities, pedestrian facilities, and bicycle lanes. The project will help 1.5 million residents; serving more than 320,000 passengers each day.
An official of the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) stated that Pakistan is a large country with a growing economy. As a result, the country risks becoming one of the biggest greenhouse gas-emitting nations on the planet. The BRT project, however, will prove that economies can grow without a large carbon footprint.
Senior environmentalist Farzana Yasmin appreciated this green initiative. She added that it will not only improve Karachi’s outdated public transport system, but check air quality and public health issues too.
