People’s Bus Service versus flooded roads

The monsoon season presents a rough obstacle course for the city’s shiny new buses

KARACHI:

The People’s Bus Service, operating at the behest of Sindh government, has been able to adopt four new bus routes in a month’s time to aid Karachi’s public transport crisis. However, it is feared that the shiny new red buses may soon lose their lustre to the sunken, pothole riddled roads of the port-city that can damage most vehicles.

Previously, bus services have had to be suspended owing to inundation of roads during heavy rains in the city. Undeterred by monsoon however, the provincial government has touted its plans to make all routes of People’s Bus Service functional by next month, with a standard fare of Rs50 for all routes.

The Sindh government had imported 250 new air-conditioned buses from China a month ago. Out of the buses imported from China, 14 buses will be operated in Larkana and 236 buses will be running in Karachi. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari inaugurated the first route on June 28. On this occasion, the Provincial Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon had announced that the buses will be operated on a total of seven routes in Karachi and will be equipped with CCTV cameras and WiFi service for passengers, while the fare for the bus will be fixed at a minimum of Rs25 and the maximum of Rs50. However, a month has passed since Memon’s claim, but the buses are yet to be linked with WiFi and all passengers, regardless of their destination, are being charged a flat Rs50 for riding the bus.

The four new routes that have been gradually introduced under People’s Bus Service’s coverage include Route No. 1 which stretches from Model Colony to Tower. Buses on this route operates from Model Colony and pass through Malir Cantt, Colony Gate, Natha Khan Bridge, Drigh Road Station, Shahrah Faisal, Karsaz, Nursery, FTC, Regent Plaza, Jinnah Hospital, Cantt Station, Metropole and Regal Chowk.

Similarly, Route No. 2 starts from North Karachi and passes through Nagan Chowrangi, Shafiq Mor, Sohrab Goth, Gulshan Chowrangi, Nipa, Johar Mor, COD, Drigh Road Station, Colony Gate, Shah Faisal Colony, Singer Chowrangi and Landhi Road and culminates at Indus Hospital.

The other two routes, routes three and seven, are yet to be linked with the red buses by the Sindh government. Nevertheless, routes number nine and ten have been made fully operational as of this week.

According to the spokesperson of the provincial transport department, the special feature of this route is that it is connected to the Green Line bus service. However, passengers have to pay a separate fare for each bus services.

According to The Express Tribune’s survey of the Karachi’s road conditions this monsoon, it seems that parts of North Karachi, Model Colony, Saudabad and a few other areas that fall under Route one and two, are the most inundated parts of the city with most pothole-ridden roads. Whereas, in comparison, roads in Shahrah Faisal, Sadar and Clifton are much cleaner and relatively well-drained.

When asked to comment on how the monsoon rains are affecting the People’s Bus Service, the spokesperson of the provincial transport department said that the bus service has been temporarily suspended since Sunday, July 24. “CCTV cameras have been installed in the buses but they have not been made operational so far. The modern intelligent transport system will be installed by August 25, after which CCTV cameras will become operational and passengers have access Wi-Fi facilities as well. Moreover, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the concerned District Municipal Corporations have been instructed to repair the dilapidated roads immediately and the People’s Bus Service will soon be back.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2022.