SHC adjourns hearing on ban on inter-province transport

Transporters say govt owns only one bus terminal in city while others charge Rs4,000 per bus

KARACHI: Irked by the misbehaviour of transporters, the Sindh High Court adjourned on Monday the hearing of a plea seeking the removal of the ban on inter-province transport services.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Omar Sial and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi was hearing the plea.

The petitioner's counsel, Muhammad Farooq, maintained that the Sindh government has allowed buses to operate from specific terminals but these are private bus terminals, with bus drivers being charged Rs4,000 per bus there.

At this, Justice Sial inquired how many bus terminals the Sindh government owned. Farooq stated that the provincial government only owns one bus terminal in the city in Yousuf Goth, from where buses departed solely to Balochistan. He added that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had claimed that it did not have sufficient funds to construct more bus terminals in Karachi.

Farooq moved the court to order the Sindh government to permit transporters to operate buses from their own terminals until more terminals are either constructed or owned by the Sindh government.

During the proceedings, the court expressed annoyance at the Supreme Council of Transporters Association information secretary after he interfered during the arguments.

"Learn the manners needed to appear in court. This is a courtroom, not a bus terminal," remarked Justice Sial.

The court adjourned the hearing indefinitely.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2020.