Karachi –Pakistan’s largest city is grappling with a severe shortage of passenger buses as just over 1,000 buses are currently operational in the port city, World Bank report showed. This startling revelation was made by officials from the Sindh government’s transport department during a briefing to Caretaker Finance, Planning, and Development Minister Muhammad Younus Dagha on Karachi transport problems. According to the report, presented before the interim transport minister, a total of 15,000 buses are needed for the comprehensive transport system of Karachi while currently only 1029 buses are operational on city roads including 240 buses of People’s Bus Service, 100 buses of BRT, and 689 old buses operated by private sector. Besides, work is in progress on route feasibility for the procurement of 500 more buses for the province.

 It was informed that in the light of the report of the World Bank, around 13000 more public transport buses were needed in Karachi to meet the gap. During the briefing, the caretaker provincial minister Mohammad Younus Dagha directed authorities to encourage the private sector under public-private partnership projects to meet the huge gap in public transport for Karachi. The caretaker minister was informed that a plan to provide easy loans to local private transporters through the establishment of an endowment fund was under consideration by the transport department In the briefing, it was informed that after consultation with the local transporters of Karachi, a proposal was also under consideration to provide soft loans to the local transporters after the purchase of buses. These purchased buses would be in the name of the Sindh government till the transporters pay the full installments of the loan of these buses.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)