Peoples Bus Service Karachi: All Routes, Fares and Timings

Karachi's Peoples Bus Service runs 20 routes listed by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA): red People's Bus, women-only Pink Bus, EV-Bus and one Double Decker. On 29 September 2026, 17 were marked active. SMTA publishes no fare or timetable. The fares in circulation, Rs 80 and Rs 120, are reported, not official.

Stand at Numaish at 8 in the morning and you will see why routes matter more than anything else here. A red bus, a pink bus and a white electric bus can all pull in within minutes, and each goes somewhere different. SMTA's new route directory at smta.gos.pk/route-map finally puts every line in one place, with its stops, distance and status.

We read that directory, each route page, SMTA's project pages and the Sindh Transport and Mass Transit Department's pages on 29 September 2026. Here is what the government says, and where it stays silent.

Peoples Bus Service is run by SMTA and operated by NRTC

The Peoples Bus Service is the Sindh government's city bus network. SMTA, under the Transport and Mass Transit Department, plans it. The buses are supplied and run by the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) under a 12-year agreement signed on 27 October 2021.

The department's project page calls it the first public transport project in Sindh to run in mixed traffic, meaning on ordinary roads rather than a dedicated lane. It lists a total project cost of USD 38.5 million. The older SMTA project page says the contract covers 250 red and pink buses, 100 of them 9 metres long and 150 of them 12 metres.

It is separate from the BRT corridors. The Green Line and the planned Red Line run on their own lanes with stations and cards, and their fares are covered in metro bus and BRT fares across Pakistan. This page is about the buses that stop at the roadside.

Karachi has 20 listed routes, 17 of them active

SMTA's directory lists 20 Karachi routes: 9 red People's Bus routes, 5 Pink Bus routes for women, 5 EV-Bus routes and 1 Double Decker. Three red routes, 05, 06 and 07, were marked inactive on 29 September 2026. Every other Karachi route showed as active.

The inactive routes are 05 Surjani to Masroor, 06 Orangi Town to Singer Chowrangi, and 07 Mosamiyat to Gulshan-e-Ghazi. If you live on those corridors, do not plan around them yet.

One warning. The route map's own index and the route directory do not always agree. The index calls route 11 "Miran Naka to Shireen Jinnah Colony", while the directory page says Mera Naka to Ziauddin Hospital. We have used the directory, because it carries the stop list and status.

How to find your stop on SMTA's route directory

Open smta.gos.pk/route-map on your phone, pick your city, and open "View route" on any line. Each route page lists every stop in order, the distance, the bus type and whether it is running. A printable PDF map sits on the same page.

1. Open smta.gos.pk and tap "Route Map".
2. Choose the city tab: Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and others.
3. Scan the "Via" line for your area, such as Karsaz, Numaish or Malir Halt.
4. Open "View route" to see the full stop list and status.
5. Download the PDF map if you need to change buses.

The busiest shared corridor is Shahrah-e-Faisal. Pink routes 01 and 09, EV-01 and the Double Decker all pass Nata Khan, Karsaz, Nursery and FTC. So on that stretch, the first bus that comes may well take you where you need to go.

Fares are not published by SMTA or the Transport Department

Neither SMTA nor the Transport Department publishes a Peoples Bus fare. Reported fares are Rs 80 for up to 15 km and Rs 120 beyond, with Rs 50 on the Pink Bus. We could not confirm these on any government page, so check with the conductor.

The Transport Department's "Fares" page does carry an official notice. It is from the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Karachi, dated 4 April 2026, and it keeps provisional fares for private buses, minibuses and coaches at their pre-27 February 2026 level. It does not mention the Peoples Bus Service. The same page also links an inter-city fare list for coaches between cities.

That comparison is worth a second look. A 25 km ride on a private minibus is Rs 80 under the RTA list. On the Peoples Bus, the reported fare for the same trip is Rs 120. Twice a day for 26 working days, that is Rs 6,240 a month, about a seventh of the Sindh minimum wage of Rs 43,000.

Payment is also unclear. The fare is reported to be paid in cash to the conductor on board, and we found no official page describing a card for the Peoples Bus. Carry exact change.

Timings are reported, and sources disagree

SMTA does not publish a timetable. Reported hours differ: one set says 7 am to 8 pm daily, another says 7 am to 10 pm including weekends. Reported gaps are about 15 minutes at peak and 30 minutes off-peak. Plan for the shorter day.

Evening travel is where this matters. If the last bus leaves at 8 pm and you finish work at 8:30, you need another plan. Ask the conductor on your first trip what time the last bus leaves your stop, and note it down. That answer will be more reliable than anything online, including this page.

Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and five more cities have routes too

The Peoples Bus Service is not only in Karachi. SMTA's directory lists 11 routes in seven other Sindh cities, 10 of them active. Hyderabad has three, Khairpur two, and Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas, Shaheed Benazirabad and Shikarpur one each.

The Transport Department's own project page is older and smaller. It says 10 routes operate, 7 in Karachi and one each in Larkana, Hyderabad and Sukkur, plus 3 Pink routes in Karachi and one in Hyderabad. SMTA's directory is newer and lists more, so we have followed it.

Complaints go to SMTA's GRM form or toll-free line

SMTA takes complaints through its GRM (grievance redress) form at smta.gos.pk/gr-form, and you can follow one with "Track Complain". Its toll-free number is 0800-07682, and its office lines are 021-99332206, 021-99332207 and 021-99332209.

Note the bus number, route, time and stop before you file. A complaint that says "route 12, bus left Malir 15 at 7:40 without stopping" gets somewhere. One that says "buses are bad" does not. SMTA's office is at D43/1 Shahra-e-Ghalib, Block 2 Clifton. The same site also handles the Pink Scooty scheme for women in Sindh.

Common questions

How much is the Peoples Bus fare in Karachi?

It is reported at Rs 80 up to 15 km and Rs 120 beyond, and Rs 50 on the Pink Bus. SMTA and the Transport Department do not publish it, so confirm with the conductor.

Where can I see all Peoples Bus routes?

On SMTA's route directory at smta.gos.pk/route-map. It lists every route in Karachi and seven other Sindh cities, with stops, distance and whether the route is active.

Can men ride the Pink Bus?

No. SMTA describes the Pink Bus as a women-focused service. Pink routes 01, 02, 03, 09 and 10 are for women passengers.

Is the Peoples Bus the same as the Green Line?

No. The Peoples Bus runs on ordinary roads and stops at the roadside. The Green Line is a Bus Rapid Transit line with its own lane and stations, run separately.

Which Peoples Bus routes are not running?

On 29 September 2026, SMTA marked Karachi routes 05, 06 and 07 and Hyderabad's Hyder Chowk to Kohsar Colony route as inactive.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read SMTA's route map and route directory, its route pages, its Peoples Bus Service project page and contact details on smta.gos.pk, the older SMTA project page on smta.sindh.gov.pk, and the Sindh Transport and Mass Transit Department's project and fares pages, including the RTA Karachi notice of 4 April 2026, all on 29 September 2026. Peoples Bus fares, timings and payment are reported only, because no government page we read publishes them. We did not ride the buses for this check.