Power outage halts Karachi e-bus routes after depot charging stations fail

KARACHI: Operations on three electric bus routes in Karachi were suspended after a prolonged power disruption at the Mehran Depot charging facility left more than 30 buses unable to recharge, according to officials.

An official said the charging stations at the depot in Model Colony had remained without electricity for three days. He said repeated complaints did not lead to a timely resolution, and the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), which operates the Sindh government’s public transport system, informed staff late on Sunday that services on EV-1, EV-3 and the women-only Pink Bus route R-1 would remain suspended from Monday.

The official said two charging stations at Mehran Depot were unable to charge the fleet because of the outage. He added that the problem began worsening on Saturday evening, but reduced ridership during the Eid holidays allowed authorities to keep buses running for some time. By Sunday evening, however, the situation had deteriorated to the point that services on the three routes had to be halted.

According to the same official, the suspension has affected the daily travel of around 12,000 passengers. He said the disruption had created serious difficulties for commuters who depend on the electric bus service as an affordable and dependable way to reach workplaces and other destinations, particularly those who use these routes regularly.

The official said a K-Electric team arrived on Monday afternoon to address the issue, raising expectations that power would be restored within hours. He added that if supply was restored, bus operations were expected to return to normal on Tuesday.

Routes affected

The EV-1 route runs from Tank Chowk on Jinnah Avenue through Sharea Faisal, FTC, Korangi Road and Khayaban-i-Ittehad before ending at Clock Tower, Seaview. EV-3 links Bahria Town with Malir Halt via the M-9 Toll Plaza, Baqai University and Jinnah Avenue. The R-1 Pink Bus is a 28-kilometre women-only service operating between Model Colony and Dockyard.

The disruption also drew attention to the wider electricity problems in and around Model Colony. Residents living near Mehran Depot said they had also gone nearly three days without power during hot and humid weather. They said repeated complaints to the utility produced little relief, forcing many households to use generators and battery backups. Residents said routine domestic needs, including water access and the use of essential appliances, had been badly affected by the prolonged outage.

K-Electric response

A K-Electric spokesperson said electricity supply to the Peoples Bus Service Depot had been restored. He said the interruption had been temporary and was caused by excessive load on the consumer’s side, adding that it was not correct to describe a localised fault as load-shedding.

The spokesperson also said the relevant institution had been informed last month about the excessive load issue. He added that the system would be upgraded after the relevant institution submitted a formal request for load extension and made the required payment.