Fancy buses on potholes

If you were to ask the Sindh Government about infrastructural progress in Karachi, its guardians would produce a comically long scroll of ever-increasing projects that have either recently been completed, are ongoing or are being planned. A very recent addition to this extensive list, according to Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, are double-decker buses and new electric buses — to be introduced from this week — in the provincial capital. But in the crumbling, pothole-ridden roads of Karachi that are festooned with mounting sewerage and trash, this 'advancement' is akin to distracting a hungry child with expensive toys. The much-desired solution remains amiss.

Make no mistake, double-decker buses and electric buses would be welcome additions in a city where congestion and faltering public transit is a major issue. But at present, these are not the primary issues of Karachi. When unsuspecting craters and haphazardly constructed speed-breakers are the cause of multiple road accidents, and there is little, if any, difference between a main road and a footpath, such additions are merely pomp and show. They are meant to be tangible symbols of hollow progress, whose flag can be paraded around by the ruling PPP in hopes of a re-election.

The people of Karachi have simple needs, and one of them is road infrastructure. To be able to travel after the city's annual urban flooding removes any traces of pre-existing roads in several regions. To not spend over two hours in commute for distances that require half an hour. To be able to travel without dreading it. To be awarded the basic rights of a citizen.

The Sindh Government must first fix matters that require immediate attention rather than investing in projects that are only useful in the presence of basic road infrastructure. Without the base layer, any public transport system is bound to fail.