Sindh announces plan for unified ride-hailing system and electric vehicle taxis in Karachi
Listen to article
The Sindh government has unveiled plans to streamline all ride-hailing services in Karachi by implementing a unified regulatory framework, alongside the introduction of an Electric Vehicle (EV) taxi network.
The announcement was made during a high-level meeting of the Sindh Transport Department, chaired by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
The meeting also included key officials such as Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, Transport Secretary Asad Zaman, and Sindh Mass Transit Authority MD Kamal Dayo.
Minister Memon highlighted that the unified system would enhance service quality, ensure passenger safety, and promote fare transparency across the city.
'We are working towards bringing all taxi services under a single, efficient system that guarantees fare transparency and strict vehicle inspections,' he stated.
As part of its green transport strategy, the Sindh government is also fast-tracking the launch of an EV taxi service to modernise the city's taxi network and reduce environmental pollution.
Efforts are underway to make EV taxis more accessible through easy financing options, including installment plans.
The government is also focusing on gender-inclusive mobility by introducing a pink scooter programme aimed at women. In the first phase, 1,000 pink scooters will be distributed free of charge to working women and female students.
'This initiative reflects our commitment to women's empowerment and their access to safe and reliable transport,' Memon said.
Furthermore, the Sindh government plans to phase out traditional buses in Karachi, relocating them to other districts, and replacing them with electric buses.
Double-decker buses are set to arrive in June, with additional buses expected by early July.
To support this transition, the government is working on the development of infrastructure, including EV charging stations and designated parking areas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Sharjeel says industrialists are ‘asset of nation'
KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) believes the business community is an asset to the country and thus it formulates business-friendly policies. Speaking at a meeting of SITE Assistance of Industries, he mentioned that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has held special meetings with industrialists. He added that political parties seek publicity for good work, and mega projects are under consideration for Karachi. Karachi is larger than many countries around the world. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan are also our provinces, and people from there come to Sindh in search of employment, he said. Our province has opportunities, and if there are any shortcomings, we will accept them, he said. He said that the best healthcare facilities in the country are available in Karachi. Sindh's public health services are better and free compared to other provinces. Memon said that the solution to Karachi's heavy traffic problem is the Northern Bypass. He said load shedding is taking place across Sindh; rural districts face more load shedding than Karachi. HESCO, SEPCO, and K-Electric are collectively punishing people, he said. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah becomes emotional over Sindh's issues and taking a zero-tolerance approach, spoke clearly with the federal government. He said. 'He is the one who raises Sindh's issues most frequently at the federal level. During the floods, 2.1 million homes were destroyed in Sindh, and 850,000 homes have already been rebuilt for flood victims.' On this occasion, Sharjeel Inam Memon also announced launch of a bus services on SITE Area routes. He stated that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project has faced many issues, including encroachments. A mechanism has been established for heavy vehicles registered outside the province. These vehicles will now need to be registered locally. He said 1,500 heavy vehicles that were not roadworthy have been confiscated, he said. He further said that the culture of sit-ins (dharnas) on roads must end, as they harm the public. While protesting is a constitutional right, blocking roads is not permissible, he warned. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
SMTA, KFC sign MoU to provide scooter training to women
KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the Sindh government is taking comprehensive measures to empower women. He emphasized that the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) has always advocated for women's rights. He highlighted that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto took historic initiatives such as establishing the First Women's Bank, setting up Women's Police Stations, and distributing land to landless women farmers. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) and the renowned international food chain KFC at a local hotel in Karachi. The MoU was signed by SMTA Managing Director Kamal Hakim Dayo and KFC CEO Raza Pirbhai. Sindh Senior Minister for Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, and other senior officials were present at the ceremony. Under the agreement, the Sindh government, in collaboration with KFC, will establish training centers in all divisional headquarters across Sindh to provide scooter driving training for women. Addressing the ceremony, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that President Asif Ali Zardari launched the country's largest income support program, which provided financial assistance to millions of women. He added that during the PPP's tenure, women were issued national identity cards and granted the right to vote. He stated that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pledged to rebuild two million houses destroyed in the recent floods, with ownership rights being granted to women. He noted that this initiative represents the world's largest housing project. Sharjeel Memon said that the Pink Bus was Pakistan's first women-only public transport project, which received praise from international media. He added that the government has now decided to provide free Pink EV Scooties to women to help them become more independent. He stated that so far, 8,000 women have applied for free scooters, out of which 140 already hold driving licenses. KFC has offered to provide driving training for women and cover their license fees. Raza Pirbhai added that the training will be conducted at divisional headquarters. Sharjeel Memon stated that the bidding process for this project will be transparent, and scooters will be distributed purely on merit. He added that the Sindh government will soon launch a Pink Taxi Service, and more buses, including double-decker buses, are expected to arrive in Pakistan next month. Sharjeel Memon said that the Sindh government has also introduced Pakistan's first electric buses. He added that the country has recently overcome a major challenge, and now it is time for all of us to work together to move the nation forward. On the occasion, KFC CEO Raza Pirbhai hosted a reception in honour of the distinguished guests and expressed pride in being part of this important initiative to empower women in collaboration with the Sindh government. He stated that KFC is committed to not only creating employment opportunities for women but also ensuring they are given the full right to lead a dignified life. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Budget 26: Govt looking to boost export of ‘made in Pakistan' mobile phones, say assemblers
Pakistan's mobile phone assemblers claim the federal and provincial governments will announce a policy in the upcoming budget 2025-26 aiming to boost phone exports. This is to maintain the balance of trade which is likely to widen in the wake of surge in imports from the US in the aftermath of trade talks between Islamabad and Washington, according to several experts that Business Recorder spoke to. One leading domestic mobile phone assembler told Business Recorder on the condition of anonymity that the government is working to announce a rebate on export of mobile phones in the upcoming budget, scheduled to be announced on June 10. More luxury items set to attract sales tax in upcoming Pakistan budget Separately, Muhammad Idrees Memon, a former president of Karachi Electronic Dealers Association (KEDA), told Business Recorder that the federal and provincial governments are designing a policy similar to the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) which will incentivise the export of 'made in Pakistan' mobile phones. Both federal and provincial governments were approached to confirm the development. They were yet to reply by the time of filing this story. Memon, who is also a former president of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said the Sindh government and KCCI are currently in talks about removing or reducing the Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) on the import of mobile parts (CKD/completely knocked down) for those manufacturers who want to export their products. The IDC is being collected in the range of 1.81% to 1.85% on imports at the provincial level. He also said the Sindh government will finish working on the export package for mobile phone exporters 'over the next two to three days (by Wednesday)' and announce it in the budget. 'The Punjab government has already agreed to a similar export package. The ministry of finance, ministry of commerce, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Engineering Development Board (EDB) all are supporting us,' he said. He said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, and PPP ministers and members of the provincial assembly including Mukash Kumar Chawla and Dharejo are working with KCCI leadership to design an EFS-like product to promote and support the phone exports to help partially controlling the likely increase in balance of trade. He added that Pakistan is considering increasing imports of products including cotton and edible oil from the US to avoid President Trump's proposal to double tariff to 29% on imports from Pakistan. Once the provincial government finalizes its tax incentives for exports then the federal government will also join the export package in the making, Memon said. 'There is huge potential and Pakistan can earn a significant amount of foreign exchange through exporting 'made in Pakistan' phones,' Memon said. He said Pakistan is already exporting mobile phones to Middle Eastern countries including Dubai, but the volume of the trade is insignificant. Almost all the Chinese phones - about two dozen brands - available in the country are being assembled locally. Memon said Pakistan is importing 100% raw material (parts/CKD) for mobile assembling in the country at present. The removal of IDC on imports would enable manufacturers to add value to the products and earn a handsome amount on their exports. In addition to this, this would also help create a new employment generation and promote 'made in Pakistan' products across the globe. China looking to move export base to Pakistan Meanwhile, Aamir Allawala, CEO, Transsion Tecno Electronics, said that Chinese companies are interested in moving their export base to Pakistan due to availability of labour at a lower cost and to mitigate its risk associated with global trade war. 'Pakistan labour cost is only $140 per month compared with $800 in China,' he told Business Recorder. Almost all leading Chinese brands have already set up their factories in Pakistan including Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, Tecno, Infinix, Itel, realme, Redmi and ZTE. 'Pakistan can become a hub of export of Chinese brands to markets in Africa, Central Asia and Middle East. 'There is a huge potential on the table. The government should sit together with the local industry and chart a five year forward to take advantage of the changing global trends,' he said. Pakistan is now assembling almost all global brands of mobile phones locally, increasing the 'made in Pakistan' production to 95% of the local demand, while the share of imported phones (finished products) has reduced to merely 5%. The domestic production is saving around 15-20% in foreign exchange, as local assemblers are still importing almost all mobile phone parts from foreign manufacturers. According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics' (PBS) data, the import of mobile phones (CKD/CBU) dropped 14% to $1.2 5 billion in the first 10 months of FY25 compared to $1.46 billion in the same period of the last year.
