Bus blues: Transporters warn of protest as DHA changes routes

The authority has changed several bus routes in ‘accordance with its master plan’.

KARACHI:

The DHA has three days to end the transporters’ grievances or its roads may be clogged by passenger buses.

The Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) - an alliance of public transport vehicles owners - has warned the authority of a protest against the closure of several of its bus routes. “We are giving a three-day deadline to the DHA, otherwise we will be forced to protest and block the roads of DHA with all our vehicles,” said Irshad Hussain Bukhari, the KTI chairman.

Over 600 large buses, minibuses and coaches of 12 routes, including X-8, N-4, N, W-21, Khan Coach, Data Coach, Gulistan Coach, Ilyas Coach, Awan Coach and 19-D, run on the roads of DHA. The routes are frequently changed by the DHA on one pretext or the other and the erring bus drivers are fined Rs 10,000. Buses plying on Khayaban-e-Shamsheer now go toward Saba Avenue and then come to Khayaban-e-Ittehad using Khayaban-e-Shahbaz.

“The administration plays around with the bus routes without the permission of the Regional Transport Authority, which issues the route permits,” said KTI Vice President Tawab Khan.

“We have had several meetings with the DHA authorities and they assured us to revert Khayaban-e-Shamsheer to two-way traffic, but they never did,” he claimed.

“We have fined only those drivers who were repeatedly told not to use the road,” said Col (ret) Muhammad Amjad, the DHA Vigilance director. The DHA has submitted its official version with the deputy commissioner (south), who will now see to it.

Khayaban-e-Shamsheer and Khayaban-e-Mujahid have been made one-way as part of DHA’s master plan, according to Amjad. “We have sent a letter to the transport authority regarding the conversion of the roads and they will change the routes accordingly.”

While Asad Kizilbash, the general secretary of Association of Defence Residents, agrees that public transport buses should be allowed in DHA, he says the routes should be fixed to the main roads only.

The KTI has formed a three-member committee to deal with the DHA administration regarding the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2012.