KARACHI: Fate of KTC driver training school hangs in the balance
KARACHI, Sept 26: The fate of revival of the driver training school of defunct Karachi Transport Corporation hangs in the balance owing to differences between the Sindh government and the ministry of communications on the availability of land adjacent to the driver training school on Manghopir Road.
A source said that the Sindh government had decided to reopen the drivers' training school of the defunct KTC, which had been closed down some eight years ago.
Due to lack of training institutes, drivers often indulge in gross violation of traffic rules and regulations, which not only causes traffic mess but also results in fatal accidents.
To cater to the growing needs of having a proper and well-maintained drivers' training school, the Sindh government had requested the ministry of communications to revamp the training school and operate it under the supervision of the National Highway and Motorway Police.
Accepting the request, the ministry of communications allocated Rs 4.5 million for renovation of the building and to buy vehicles and other equipment for the school.
Furthermore, the ministry asked the Sindh government to provide additional land for providing physical training to the commercial drivers and asked the Sindh government to hand over the land of Model Depot and a workshop located adjacent to KTC driver training school on Manghopir Road for the purpose.
However, the Sindh government refused to give Model Depot land and informed the ministry that the depot land could not be used for any other purpose except bus terminal activities under the directives of the Sindh High Court.
To solve the issue, the Sindh government offered alternative land on Super Highway or Northern Bypass where physical training could be provided.
But the ministry is insisting that availability of land should be provided near driver training school. However, this issue was not solved between both stakeholders which seemed that the revival of driver training school would remain in the doldrums.
Meanwhile, a meeting held here on Tuesday reviewed matters pertaining to the revival of the KTC driver training school.
The meeting, presided over by Sindh chief Secretary, Fazlur Rahman in the chair, decided that drivers’ training school adjacent to Modern Depot of defunct KTC, Manghopir Road, would be revived again after a lapse of nine years by the Sindh government in collaboration with National Highway and Motorway Police.
Source said that the motorway police official informed the chief secretary that as soon as the allocated funds would be released by the ministry of communications, the renovation of school building would be started.
It was informed in the meeting that drivers training school continued to work for 20 years from 1977 to 1997.—Online/PPI
