Over 110,000 use PBS daily: Sharjeel

Women MPAs attend session in green-white themed dresses to mark I-Day celebrations

KARACHI:

People's Bus Service is operating successfully across Sindh, currently serving over 110,000 passengers daily, said Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Friday.

Sindh government is committed to providing quality transportation facilities to the public across the province, he said during the question-hour session in the Sindh Assembly regarding the Transport and Mass Transit Department.

He added that the government is planning to expand the fleet to address the longstanding transport crisis in Karachi and other parts of the province.

The assembly session was chaired by Speaker Awais Qadir Shah. In a symbolic celebration of Independence Day, women lawmakers attended the session dressed in green outfits and white dupattas, reflecting a festive patriotic atmosphere in the House.

In response to a written and supplementary question from MQM MPA Dr. Fauzia Hameed, Minister Memon confirmed the government's provision of subsidies for the bus service and outlined further plans, including the launch of Pakistan's first electric vehicles (EV) for public transport. "EV buses and scooters will be introduced by the end of August. The scooters will be distributed free of cost to women," he announced.

Minister Memon further highlighted digital reforms in the transport department: "Previously, vehicle route permits were handled manually. Now we are digitizing the entire process. By 2026, the entire transport department will be fully digitized. Route permits have already been digitized."

Illegal constructions

Raising a call-attention notice, MQM MPA Dr. Fauzia Hameed criticized the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) for widespread illegal constructions in Karachi. She claimed that more than 15,000 unauthorized structures have emerged, particularly in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Orangi Town, Liaquatabad, and Korangi.

"If SBCA didn't grant approval, how did these constructions happen? Clearly, corruption is involved," she alleged.

In response, Parliamentary Secretary Qasim Siraj Soomro said action had been taken against several individuals and the government was "seriously committed" to curbing illegal construction activities.