Sindh Transport Division has introduced a new route for People’s Bus Service in Karachi, Minister Sharjeel Memon announced yesterday.
The route stretches 20 kilometers between Shireen Jinnah colony and Meera Naka Lyari, going through Boat basin, Mai Kolachi, native Jetty, and Mauripur Road. Last month, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered the urgent rehabilitation of all People’s Bus Service routes.
Public Announcement : New route of Peoples Bus Service has been started from today. Its starts from Shireen Jinnah colony, Boat basin, Mai Kolachi, native jetty , mauripur road, meera naka / Lyari. At your service #PeoplesBusService pic.twitter.com/Y1d2Ojbtwb
— Sharjeel Inam Memon (@sharjeelinam) September 12, 2022
He approved Rs. 1.5 billion for the repair of all seven routes and told the local government department and transport division to cooperate with one another for the swift restoration of the routes.
Bus Malfunction
Karachi saw the launch of People’s Bus Service three months ago. Unfortunately, one of its buses broke down last week on I.I. Chundrigar Road. Viral social media images show the passengers pushing the unserviceable bus out of the road.
According to details, these buses can accommodate 54 passengers at a time. However, they are often overloaded with up to 150 passengers, which was the cause of last week’s breakdown.
The passengers lamented that people have to push the new buses too, just like the old ones. Signs of dilapidation are starting to appear in these buses due to frequent overloading, they added.
Another reason for breakdowns is the damaged road infrastructure due to relentless rains. The people of Karachi have appealed to the government to repair the roads in order for the service to survive.
A media report claims, citing an anonymous source, that if People’s Bus Service doesn’t operate at the current (overloaded) capacity, it will incur heavy losses. Furthermore, the department blamed the drivers for not knowing how to fix basic problems.
Meanwhile, the criticism continues to pile against the department for not addressing the ongoing issues before launching new routes.
Stay Connected with ProPakistani
Get the latest automobile news, car launches, bike reviews, videos and analysis wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
