KARACHI: Retired city govt staff to manage bus depots
KARACHI, Nov 14: The Nazim of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, has agreed in principal to establish a welfare foundation for the retired employees of the City government on the lines of Fauji Foundation and Army Welfare Trust. The proposed foundation, if established, would operate bus terminals set up under the Urban Transport Scheme (UTS).
This idea was floated by the EDO, Transport and Communication, Dr Tahir Soomro, while briefing the Nazim on the UTS at a meeting held here on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by the DCO Karachi, DO Public Transport of the Transport and Communication Department, DG of Karachi Mass Transit Programme and other relevant officials.
The Nazim acknowledged that 14 pre-qualified operators of the scheme had committed to run a total of 1,525 new buses in Karachi in five years while another 695 buses would be brought to the city at the initial stage.
Dr Soomro responding to the minutes of the earlier meetings and reminded that it had been decided the City government would find ways to operate the bus terminals meant for the UTS route operators.
He presented a set of four proposals containing different options in this regard.
He pin-pointed the proposed terminal operators as: a) Public-Private Management b) Cooperative Approach c) Contract/Terminal Management Committee d) City District Government Karachi Foundation.
He explained that under the Public-Private Management system, proprietary rights remained with the public sector (CDGK) but the private managers were brought in to operate the terminals.
He said this could form a management contract and a problem of assuming risk of operating losses was also there but the problem could be overcome with lease where fees could be linked with performance and revenue. However, the concept of concession (and given the incentive) would improve operations and increase value of assets in the long run.
Nevertheless, he said, there were serious drawbacks of the system, he said adding that in case a terminal manager was appointed, there would be no incentive for him for increasing the revenue base. Government resources would also have to be mobilized for development purposes, he said. He observed that most of the terminals have a fixed capacity.
The EDO said that the private party (not connected with route operator), which paid the government a fee to use the assets, might resort to other commercial activities in the terminal and charge higher rates. Its practice aimed at making profits quickly would turn the private party into another kind of ‘adda mafia’, he said.
Another system proposed by Dr Soomro was Cooperative Approach that involved setting up of an NGO as an ‘umbrella’ entrusted to manage the affairs in collaboration with a Board comprising public and private sector officials as well as users.
The third option was to form a Contract/Terminal Management Committee.
The EDO said that this would be a more conventional approach envisaging a committee comprising: i) Representative of EDO (TCD), CDGK. ii) Representative of DRTA (from regulatory point of view). iii) Representative of the EDO (Revenue). iv) Concerned Town Municipal Officer. v) Additional members from the operators using the facility (could be nominated to serve on the committee. vi) Concerned area Town Police Officer.
After considering all the options, the Nazim approved the idea of establishing th CDGK foundation and directed the concerned officials to work out details of the proposal.—PPI
