This project was also included in last year's budget and has been mentioned as a 'new scheme' in the new budget as well. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Sindh government's desire to curb the mushroom growth of 'strange' vehicles, such as the Qingqi and multi-seater rickshaws, is reflected in the provincial budget for the new fiscal year, 2014-15. The government has set aside Rs3.216b for four transport and mass transit schemes.
In contrast, the funds allocated for development schemes in this sector in the last year's budget was hardly Rs300 million. This huge jump to the new development budget would point towards the government's apparent seriousness in redressing the issue of public transport in the province.
A closer look at the figures, however, shatters the pleasant picture as Rs3 billion have been allocated for the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system's Green Line - a project that is not likely to start until next year. "We have hired a consultant to draft PC-1 of the project," said Fazal Karim Khatri, the director-general of the Karachi Mass Transit Cell. "It has yet to be approved by the Provincial Development Working Party (Pakistan) which will probably take place next year." He was hopeful that ground work on the project will kick off by the end of 2015.
Another scheme is the proposal to introduce 100 diesel buses under the 'Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Diesel Buses' programme.
The buses will operate between Karachi and other major cities of the province. This project was also included in last year's budget and has been mentioned as a 'new scheme' in the new budget as well. The estimated cost of the scheme was Rs340 million. The budget allocated for the scheme, however, is only Rs59.204 million.
Besides these two projects, the construction of bus terminals in Thatta, Badin and Kamber Shahdadkot and the rehabilitation of drivers' training school are on-going projects of the transport department for which a total Rs156.76 million have been allocated. Both the projects are being delayed for the past two years and are now set to be completed by June 2015.
The provincial transport minister could not be contacted for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2014.
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Why every other project in Sindh has to be a ‘Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto'. I just don,t get. We all respect BB, no doubt about it. it seems this trend is growing out of proportions. We even have renamed a district. Why can't we give any given project a logical name. Wonder what would the West be like today, had they started doing this?