Sindh CM approves bid to acquire 200 buses for public transport

100 buses will run in Karachi, remaining 100 will be distributed among other five districts

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved a proposal of the Transport Department to procure 200 buses, of which 100 will be for Karachi and the remaining for five other districts of Sindh. The buses will run on dedicated routes and operated with the assistance of the private sector.

This decision was made during a meeting of Transport Department on Tuesday. Attendees included Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah, Planning and Development Chairperson Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to the  CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani and Transport Secretary Abbas Detho, among others.

The transport minister had submitted a plan that called for a public-private partnership for purchasing 200 buses and putting them into service in Karachi and five other districts, pending the CM's approval. The operation of the buses would be handled by private parties whose selection would be carried out in a transparent manner. Meanwhile, the provincial government would select important routes and set the fares. It would fall on the private partner to implement the government's plan.

Shah has directed the transport minister to draw out a detailed plan for the operation of the busses, their specifications, the qualification requirements for the private partner, details of routes and designation of buses on a single route. He said that the process of procuring the buses should be completed within seven months.

Other agenda points

Meanwhile, at the same meeting the attendees also discussed the issue of shifting of a truck stand, the construction of a bus terminal, the construction of a bio-gas plant and the transfer of driving license branches.

The government had already made the decision to move the truck stand on Mauripur Road to the Nothern Bypass. Sindh Board of Revenue member Qazi Parvez informed the CM that land had been allocated for the purpose but its entry revenue record had yet to be made, leading to Shah demanding that the transfer of title of the land be completed and a report be submitted to him within 15 days.

Regarding the bio-gas plan, the CM stated that the decision had already been taken to establish the plant in Bhains Colony, under the Karachi Bus Service Project, and instructed the transport minister to have a meeting with the local government minter and Karachi mayor. He also allocated land for the project, reminding the participants of meeting that since this matter had already been delayed it must be decided upon within the next 15 days.

Shah also spoke to the transport minister about bringing driving license branches under the control of the transport department from the police department, stating that he would approve this change on the basis that the operation of the branches were carried out professionally. The transport department must also run a driving school, he added.

The CM said he was keen to provide the best transport facilities in the city and other districts in the province as soon as possible. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2020.