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The important public transport sector of Karachi has remained totally neglected for the last two decades and millions of commutes of the city suffer due to this ignorance at governmental level and with highly inefficient and costly public transport systems of the city.
Most of the people of Karachi depend on the unreliable, poorly maintained and outdated public transport such as buses. Karachi is the only urban city of the world where commuters travel on the rooftops of minibuses. These overcrowded minibuses could be seen on all city routes, plying with impunity, violating all road rules.
In the city of over 20 million people, commuters have to travel sitting on rooftops of buses, which is unheard of in any civilised urban city. They often suffer injuries. However, the government policymakers for the last two decades have been only paying lip-service to this serious issue and the sitting government is no different.
The minibuses owner also minting huge additional income allowing passengers dangerously sitting on rooftops and travelling on footboards Normally 35 to 40 commuters travel on the rooftop of a minibus, providing extra earning of more than Rs 700 per trip to private transporters and they gladly pay a bribe of a few rupees, or a challan of negligible amount.
It is observed the traffic police do stop these minibuses, but only to get a small bribe of Rs 30 to Rs 50, or in rare cases issuing them ticket for a negligible fine, which the negligent drivers accept gladly. It is worth mention that there is no ticking system prevailed in business and minibuses to accurately know their income or have a record of income
It is observed that majority busses and minibuses playing on roads are very old and unfit and they are allowed to ply on Karachi roads. They should be in some junkyard instead of plying on city roads if government strictly implements the vehicle fitness laws. Unless heavy fine of load passengers on rooftops of minibuses is per violation this malpractice could not be stopped. Private owner's buses and minibuses having permits of normal buses, minibuses and coaches on various routes have also reduced the number of their vehicles plying on road, increasing woes of commuters.
However the transports said that there is no charm left in the public transport business in Karachi anymore that is why transporters are not ready to bring in more buses. They agreed that the city need new route services in all the parts of the city and it will be difficult to cater the needs of Karachi commuters even if 10000 new buses are introduced on emergency basis.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2014

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