Pakistan - Karachi Mobility Project : Additional Financing

Overview & Synopsis

The development objective of the Karachi Mobility Project for Pakistan is to improve mobility, accessibility, and safety along selected public transport corridors in Karachi. The additional financing is requested to address a cost overrun driven by design and technology upgrades associated with a transition to a fully electric bus fleet, reconstruction of the Jam Sadiq Bridge to meet safety and capacity needs, inflation and exchange rate movements, reinstatement of Sindh Sales Tax on construction services, and enhanced climate resilience measures such as elevated structures and improved drainage, and it accompanies an extension of the closing date to allow completion and initial operations. The Bank will work on completing the 21 kilometer Yellow Line corridor and its feeder network with associated urban road rehabilitation, utilities, bridges, nonmotorized transport facilities, and drainage; building and equipping depots and stations; deploying an integrated fare collection and Intelligent Transport System (ITS); and concluding a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to finance, supply, operate, and maintain a full electric bus fleet and related systems. The project will also support social risk management, including implementation of the Social Management Plan and a Gender Based Violence action plan, citizen engagement through a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), and capacity building for the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) in project management, traffic management, road safety, and bus route permit automation. The project intends to deliver faster and safer trips along the corridor, expand the number of people living within convenient access to quality public transport, increase the number of jobs reachable within 60 minutes by public transport, reduce traffic fatalities, mobilize private capital for electric bus provision and operations, and contribute to improved air quality through lower PM2.5 emissions while enhancing climate resilience of critical urban transport infrastructure.