Karachi is the only city in the world with a population over 20 million and no citywide rail-based public transport system — a few other megacities only have regional train networks, but all of them have plans to expand their networks. And while trains need not be the primary public transportation option in a metropolis, all similarly sized cities also have elaborate public bus networks, often complemented by other options such as trams, ferries and boats, and private hire transport options, including buses, taxis and rickshaws.
But Karachi does not even have a satisfactory bus network — public buses only ply a few routes, while private buses are often dangerously overloaded. Yet, the Sindh government and Karachi’s local leaders have shown little interest in reviving the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). Despite many half-hearted attempts to restart the service since it went offline in 1999, the KCR is now a textbook example of the results of rampant government corruption, specifically as it relates to encroachments.
KCR’s potential is undeniable — a 43.13 km modern rail network could carry 550,000 daily passengers, decongesting city roads while also reducing costs and, in many cases, travel time. Unfortunately, about 20% of KCR right-of-way land is under ‘adverse occupation’. Other hurdles for the almost $2 billion project include cost escalation and institutional deadlock brought on by local, provincial and federal leaders’ inability to take ownership of the project, or let anyone else get credit for getting it back on track.
If Karachi is to ever have a functional public transport system, decision-makers need to put their egos aside and build a system that integrates and expands public rail and bus networks, which includes reviving KCR and operationalising other routes as quickly as possible. While difficult, it is possible — Dhaka’s metro line was operationalised in about six years. Jakarta, a similarly sized city which did not have a rail system until 2011, has since built over 600 km of local rail lines and continues expanding, as cities must do to remain relevant in the global economy.
