Karachi’s BRT Red Line project plagued by delays, rising costs

Karachi’s much-anticipated BRT Red Line, aimed at transforming public transport across the city, has turned into a symbol of mismanagement, corruption, and mounting delays. University Road, one of the city’s busiest arteries, remains under construction, causing daily chaos for over 350,000 commuters.

The 23-kilometre corridor, funded by the Asian Development Bank and other financial institutions, was approved in 2019. Yet only 37% of the work is complete, with costs rising from $503 million to $600 million. Originally slated for completion in June 2024, the deadline has now been pushed to December 2027 amid land disputes, payment issues, safety violations, and administrative lapses.

Nukta’s Special Correspondent, Akhtiar Khokhar, investigates the stalled project, examining who is responsible for the setbacks and whether Karachi will ever see the rapid bus system it was promised or if the delays will continue to mount.