Safety first: MPAs demand legislation on transport system

Sindh's transport minister says he will take action against buses that do not have emergency exits.

KARACHI: More than 30 years ago, the Sindh government had placed a ban on allowing new buses and minibuses on the road after 20-year-old college student Bushra Zaidi was crushed to death on April 15, 1985, by a minibus outside Sir Syed Girls College.

A few months before Zaidi's death anniversary, the members of the Sindh Assembly are urging for legislation for the transport system and safety regulations.

"Yes, there are old buses in the city," accepted Sindh transport minister Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani during Tuesday's Sindh Assembly session while talking about the ban imposed on purchasing buses after Zaidi's death. The real problem, he said, was the fitness certificates as many old buses were still running on the road without them.



He informed the House that his ministry had been given the power to issue fitness certificates a month ago.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPA Khalid Ahmed presented a private resolution on the safety of passengers. He said that the government must take stern action against the transport mafia.

"They [transport mafia] raise the travel fares when the oil prices increase but don't level them when the prices go down," he said.

MQM's Sardar Ahmed said that that department was weak and lacked powers. He suggested that a traffic controlling system should be discussed and handed over to the department for consideration.

The lawmakers highlighted that public transport in Sindh, particularly the provincial capital, was not up to the standards. They claimed that public buses were like moving bombs as most of them ran on gas cylinders.

Emergency exits on the bus were also discussed.

"I'll personally take action against buses with no emergency exits and will confiscate them," said Jakhrani. "All transporters have been warned and told to install exit doors or FIRs will be lodged against them." He added that he will visit Super Highway today (Wednesday) and take action against public buses that did not have exit doors.

Women and transport

Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Shamim Mumtaz raised an issue faced by women who used public transport. She said that male drivers stared at the female passengers, who feel harrassed when they play sub-standard songs.



She also asked the provincial government to look into the matter as these buses were also being used by school and college students.

Sukkur Development Authority

A resolution was moved by MQM's Naheed Begum to establish the Sukkur Development Authority to uplift and develop the province's third largest city. It was unanimously passed by the House.

Wheat crisis

The finance and energy minister, Murad Ali Shah, pointed out that the province had 950,000 tons of wheat in stock and this was creating an economic loss because the federal government had imported sub-standard wheat from Ukraine. He said that this issue was raised before the prime minister but was not being addressed. He asked the federal government to purchase Sindh's wheat or help the provincial government export the stock.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2015.