00:00Passing through Karachi's University Road these days feels like an enduring test.
00:10This road is one of the city's main arteries. The construction work here was supposed to be
00:16a game-changer for Karachi, something that could finally ease the city's congestion.
00:22Instead, dust in the air, broken roads, and daily stress.
00:27Farhan Somro used to get to work in about an hour. Now he says it can take more than two.
01:05The main reason is the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit project. The construction began in 2022.
01:13The plan was to have modern buses, dedicated lanes, and faster commute times.
01:19But four years later, there's still no end in sight. It's not just daily commuters feeling the impact.
01:26Along the university road, some say that businesses have taken a serious hit.
01:32I have to earn a lot of money. We earn a lot of money. We earn a lot of money.
01:37We earn a lot of money from 3,000 to 4,000. We earn a maximum of 2,000.
01:40But when the roads are closed, the roads are getting close, and the roads are getting cut.
01:44So there's a problem in our road. There's a lot of money. We stay there.
01:49We wait for a hour and a half. We wait for a customer.
01:51There's no customer to be coming. There's traffic jam.
01:53and the traffic will be more and more.
01:56The road is not clear.
01:57That's why we have a problem.
02:00Our shop is going to be completely damaged.
02:04The shop has been very limited.
02:07You can see that when we come to the shop,
02:10we will come closer to the shop.
02:12We are losing it.
02:14We are not going to be successful.
02:16As soon as we complete this project,
02:19we will make a place for the road,
02:20and get a chance for customers.
02:22What's causing these delays?
02:25Karachi Mayor told DW that the main reason is rising costs.
02:30When the procurement was carried out,
02:33the rate of the dollar,
02:35the rate of all the components was significantly lower
02:38as compared to what the rate became
02:41after the massive inflation that hit Pakistan back in 2022.
02:46That led to this unfortunate situation
02:49because under the law,
02:50under the procurement manual,
02:52the cost escalation cannot go beyond 15%.
02:56However, the rates had gotten at least twice
03:00than the procured rate.
03:02The Redline project was already expected to cost a staggering
03:06US$503 million.
03:09And it relies heavily on international funding
03:12from institutions like the Asian Development Bank.
03:16The projects are conceived without any citizens' involvement.
03:21I think that's one of the main causes.
03:23Secondly, the projects require heavy loans
03:28because the Karachi agencies and the federal government that supports them
03:34do not have the necessary finances to fund complex projects
03:40which require especially technological support.
03:45So that is why they do not deliver.
03:49In a city this densely populated,
03:52disruption is almost unavoidable when infrastructure projects begin.
03:57But involving communities early could make a big difference
04:00in how smoothly they are carried out.
04:02And that's all right.
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