Sindh transport dept makes promises it rarely keeps

Scraps off diesel bus project from last year’s budget without any explanation

KARACHI: The Sindh government makes a lot of promises - most it never keeps. This is nowhere as accurate as in the case of Sindh transport and mass transit department’s annual development programme (ADP).

Each year the government introduces new projects that never see the light of day. Similar is the case with old projects that have been carried forward in the annual budget for several years now. There is little accountability for the millions of rupees allocated for these projects.



A case in point is that of ‘Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Diesel Buses’ programme, which the Sindh government glorified as a common man’s project for five consecutive years in the budget, and then wiped it off without even bothering to offer any explanation in last year’s budget. This project was a regular feature of the provincial budget over the last five years. It first appeared in the ADP of 2011-2012. In the financial year 2014-2015, Rs59.2 million were earmarked for the project whose total cost was estimated to be Rs340 million.



In lieu of diesel bus project, ‘Larkana Intra City Project’ for 50 diesel buses was earmarked Rs100 million in the 2015-2016. Since it was an unapproved project in the outgoing fiscal year, it is also expected to be carried forward this year too. According to an official privy to the developments, there is zero progress in the project.

Apart from this, the construction of bus terminals in Thatta, Badin and at Miro Khan in Kamber Shahdadkot have been part of the department’s ADP for two consecutive years. Yet there is no work to show on ground. For the year 2014-2015, Rs130.37 million were earmarked for the project and then for the year 2015-2016 Rs200.127 million were earmarked. The initial target date of completion was June 2015 and then later it was moved to June 2016.

A transport department official spoke to The Express Tribune, on the condition of anonymity and said that the construction of the bus terminals was still underway. These projects will be featured in the upcoming budget again, he said.

Drivers’ training schools

Likewise, the ‘Rehabilitation of Drivers Training Schools’ in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana under public-private partnership have been components of the ADP for two consecutive years but the schools are still dysfunctional. For the year2014-2015, Rs26.4 million were earmarked for the project while Rs18.5 million were allocated in the outgoing fiscal year. The estimated cost of the project is Rs102.2 million.

Transport secretary Tuaha Farooqui pointed out, however, that the buildings of the driver’s training schools were ready. The motorway police have shown interest in the project and, most likely, the Sindh government will hand over the schools to them, he said, adding that the motorway police will run the schools using their own resources and without any financial implications.



“If we went for the public-private partnership method, there weren’t any institutions that could run this project,” said Farooqui.

Another transport official admitted that projects mentioned in last year’s budget are likely to be carried forward this year as well.

Bizarre budget allocations

In a province severely lacking in mass transit, the transport department in only increasing Rs195 million in its ADP for the province. A total of Rs3.195 billion is proposed for the year 2016-2017 for Sindh’s transport and mass transit department as compared to Rs3 billion in the last fiscal year. No major new scheme is likely to become the part of the transport budget.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2016.