KARACHI, Aug 29: The city government will construct 471 bus shelters on 26 major roads and the tuck shops built there would be given to handicapped people.

A decision in this regard was taken by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan while reviewing the schemes of transport and communication department.

The meeting that continued for four hours reviewed the schemes of Karachi Urban Traffic Control Plan, shifting of inter-city bus termini to highways, urban transport scheme, road safety education park, transit bus shelters, construction of overhead bridges, shifting of oil tankers terminal from Shirin Jinnah Colony to National Highway, local bus terminals and other projects.

It was decided that the shops being constructed near bus shelters would be handed over by city nazim to handicapped people to help them carrying out their business. The nazim directed the officials concerned that toilet signs should be installed for people using transit bus shelters at Sharea Faisal.

EDO Transport Dr Tahir Soomro informed the meeting that PC-I was being prepared to solve traffic problems. Under the plan, he said, all traffic signals would be computerized and linked with the central control room from where the signals would be operated as per traffic pressure.

The meeting was informed that 500 new buses would be plied on 27 various routes in September under the Urban Transport Scheme. It was decided that action would be taken against buses violating UTS rules and regulations.

To monitor the performance of UTS buses, the nazim set up a committee comprising Adviser Transport Mohammed Tufail, DO Public Transport Mohammed Athar, Saeed Ghani, Qazi Sadruddin and others. The committee will submit its report to the nazim within 15 days.

It was decided that subsidy would be granted to CNG-operated buses. About shifting of inter-city bus termini, it was informed that 10-acre land had been demarcated at RCD Highway, 15 acres at National Highway and 45 acres at Super Highway. The terminus at Super Highway would be constructed on BOT basis.

Naimatullah Khan directed the officials concerned that a boundary wall should be constructed around bus terminus, the land should be kept under vigil and construction of bus terminal at RCD highway be started immediately. He made it clear that land reserved for parks and other amenities would not be allowed to be encroached upon.

Transport Committee Chairman Hafiz Ahmed Ali said that there were 230 termini of local buses in the city while plan was afoot to construct new bus termini at 31 other locations, including Surjani Town, Clifton, Baldia Town, Korangi, Malir Extention, Gulshan-i-Bahar and Orangi Town.

The meeting also decided that overhead bridges would be built at 28 different locations in the city to facilitate pedestrians. City Nazim Naimatullah Khan took strict notice of delay in the completion of overhead bridges and directed that bottlenecks in the way be removed immediately. He said that in future while constructing flyovers, provision should be kept to facilitate pedestrians in crossing the road.

It was decided that agreements of companies not constructing the bus shelters would be annulled and new companies would be provided an opportunity to participate in construction.

Mr Khan directed the communication and works department to prepare road map for shifting of oil tanker termini from Shirin Jinnah Colony to the National Highway. It was decided that a Road Safety Education Park would be developed at Safari on BOT basis to educate children about traffic rules. -APP