KARACHI: Four of nine bus depots in LEAs occupation
By Arman Sabir
KARACHI, Sept 28: Nine bus depots, being handed over by the provincial transport department to the City government’s transport department appeared of no immediate use as four of them are under the occupation of Sindh Rangers, one is kept by the police, and another one by the SITE town administration.
Well-placed sources said the bus depots had not been formally handed to the transport and communications department except a letter was issued intimating about the handing over, which would come into effect in the near future.
As the decision was almost finalized to hand over the depots to the city government, it has taken up the issue of occupied bus depots by some government agencies with the provincial home department for evacuation of these depots as early as possible so that the depots could serve their real purpose.
They said since the depots were encroached upon by some law enforcement agencies and the government’s functionaries, they could not be used as bus depots.
They said the depots would be upgraded and a modern structure meeting the requirements of bus depots would be built after their evacuation.
The sources said the issue of handing the bus depots was pending for many years. The previous city government had repeatedly requested the provincial transport department to hand over the depots to the city government as it was the property of the defunct Karachi Transport Corporation, which was disbanded in 1999. As the depots belonged to the KTC, it was not the property of the provincial government and the depots should have been handed with the devolution of the department to the city government.
Since the KTC was dissolved, the depots were lying abandoned and four of them were gradually occupied by the Sindh Rangers. Sources said Gulistan-i-Jauhar bus depot, Malir Halt bus depot, Mehran bus depot in Model Colony, and Korangi bus depot, were in the possession of rangers.
Besides, the Orangi Town depot was encroached upon by the police, where they had established the Pirabad police station and other offices and residential structures. The entire land was allocated for a bus depot but the police department occupied the land.
The Model bus depot in SITE was recently occupied by the administration of the SITE town after their office had been set on fire by an unruly mob, who were agitating for prolonged power failures.
The SITE town administration had been spending millions of rupees to construct a building for their use on the premises allocated for Model bus depot, the sources disclosed.
They said that the scenario had changed now and the city government was itself the custodian of these bus depots. It is hoped that the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, would look into the matter on priority and asked the SITE administration to vacate the premises of the bus depot.
Another bus depot in North Karachi was given on a contract to the Swede-Bus Pakistan on condition that it would bring 32 buses in initial phase, and another batch of equal number of buses in the second phase. It would also develop a manufacturing plant at the depot. However, the Swede-Bus Pakistan stopped its bus operation months back and it also failed to bring more buses in the second phase. The company was also unable to install a manufacturing plant at the depot.
Sources said the matter about the company had been taken up with the provincial transport department, which had struck the deal. The city transport department asked the provincial transport department to revoke the contract as Swede-Bus Pakistan failed to contractual requirements.
The provincial transport department had given away the Surjani bus depot to the Green Bus Company, which had defaulted. However, the company kept occupying the bus depot and got an injunction from a court.
“We have moved the court against the stay-order and we have compiled strong arguments against the company but we have been waiting for a court hearing”, an official added on condition of anonymity.
The Landhi bus depot was also awarded to one Al-Aziz Route Transport on a contract, by the provincial transport department, the sources added. Besides, a bus termini in Paposh Nagar was also being handed over to the city’s transport department, which would be used for buses, the sources added.
