KARACHI: Transport body wants token system abolished
KARACHI, Jan 30: Despite severe criticism against the token system, no conclusive decision could be reached in a joint meeting held here on Wednesday.
The meeting was held at the transport and communications department of the city government to review the problems of the local transporters, like route permits, conditions of roads and token system.
It was attended by chairman of transport committee, Hafiz Ahmed Ali, SSP of Traffic Nasir Khan Yousaf Zai, secretary of RTA Shamim Akhtar, representatives of various bodies of transporters and others.
Hafiz Ahmed Ali stressed that existing token system of mini- buses and coaches was the major cause of traffic accidents in Karachi and it must be abolished.
The meeting was informed that one minibus is involved in an accident after every 28 hours in Karachi, which is mainly due to the token system.
As per this system, driver has to pay Rs10 for each minute if he gets late and the distance between one token point to another is 5 to 10 km.
However, transporters present in the meeting stated that they would apprise about their decision regarding token system in the next meeting of the committee scheduled to be held on Feb 3, 2003.
The meeting decided to cancel routes permits of operators who have started operation of their buses and directed the transporters to remove tape-recorders from public transport vehicles and also took serious notice of male commuters travelling in the ladies compartment.
It was decided that challans and other stern measures would be taken against drivers who do not stop at bus stops.
Responding to complaints lodged by transporters regarding condition of roads, the meeting decided that carpeting on roads would be done under a crash programme by respective towns and all speed-breakers on highways would be eliminated.
District Officer, Transport, Mohammed Athar informed that out of more than one million vehicles in Karachi, only 6,337 are mini- buses and 3,355 are buses, but these vehicles are involved in most of accidents in Karachi.—PPI
