With less than one bus for every 1,000 students, KU’s transport facility needs complete overhaul

Students are forced to look for alternatives as overcrowded buses require maintenance.

KARACHI:

The province's largest public-sector varsity, the Karachi University, has more than 52 departments and 24,000 students. And for their transport, it has only 28 buses, out of which a mere 18 are in working condition.

During summers, the students want a safe, cool and cheap mode of transport and they turn to these buses, commonly known as 'points'. With a fare of Rs10 for a one-way journey, the buses do tick the 'cheap' column, but that is where they stop.

Unsafe overcrowding

The buses are usually overcrowded as conductors try to accommodate everyone and often failed to do so.

"Inside the point, it is so overcrowded that you have difficulty breathing," said Sumaiya Talib, a first year student of the computer science department. "I stopped travelling in points after I fainted out of suffocation on my way to the university once. The students inside are practically stuffed into the buses and with fights breaking out over who gets the limited seats, points seem more like battlegrounds than vehicles."



Sundas Iqbal, a student of the international relations department, complained about the state of the buses and said that students are packed inside the vehicles like sardines in a can. "Travelling on the point is a daily ordeal and perhaps the worst part of my day," she said.

The former incharge of the university's transport committee, Zulqarnain Shadab, said that there is less than one bus for every 1,000 students. "There is an urgent need of more than 100 points to serve the students of the university," he said. "Overcrowding in these buses is a major hazard."

No alternatives

The university caters to many a lower and middle class student and as the buses fail to meet demand and continue to defy safety regulations, the students are forced to look elsewhere. "I cannot afford to travel to and fro from university in a rickshaw," said Afshan Haider, a student of the Urdu department. "However, it is very difficult to walk to the university from the main gate, and I once fainted while doing so."

A battle for funds

The point terminal at the university shows the dismal condition of the buses - most of which are little better than scrap. Those responsible for running the point service often strike for funds but it seldom works and amid all these, the students suffer.

While the transport department receives its allocated monthly fuel fund on time, any demand for maintenance funds needs to be justified, said transport chairperson Syed Muhammad Khalid. "They have an issue since I want to verify the need before dispensing funds for maintenance."

Meanwhile, the drivers claimed to be unaware of any maintenance work done on the buses. "If they are actually spending funds on repairs, then how is it that they have nothing to show for it?" asked Mazhar, a point conductor.

While protesting students and staffers want Khalid's removal, Karachi University vice-chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser refuses to do so. "This [firing Khalid] is out of the question," he said, while talking to The Express Tribune. "We have, however, formed a three-member committee to analyse and advice on the conditions of the buses."

Law violation

Meanwhile, according to new laws, the traffic police are supposed to impose a fine on public buses that exceed the permissible passenger limit. Sharae Faisal DSP Nihal Akhtar Khan said that the law applies to everyone and anyone found violating it will be fined. However, his claim was contradicted by North Central DSP Shahid Mian, who said that the orders do not apply to government vehicles.

"The new law is for commercial vehicles only," Mian told The Express Tribune. "We do stop Karachi University buses if we see them violating traffic rules but the drivers just apologise and continue to do the same."

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2014.