KARACHI: SHC seeks report on shifting of bus terminals
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 14: The Sindh High Court has asked the city district government to submit a report on the shifting of inter-city buses and bus stands from inside the city. A bench comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Sajjad Ali Shah observed on Wednesday while hearing a petition moved by transporters that no inter-city bus should be allowed to pick or drop passengers at Lyari, Saddar, the old sabzimandi (fruit and vegetable market) or any other area in the city.
City district counsel Manzoor Ahmed informed the bench that the Baldia Town terminal set up for Quetta-bound buses on the RCD Highway was fully operational with all the necessary facilities. Most of the transporters had shifted their vehicles from the various city areas but individual operators were still trying to ply their buses from within the city.
The bench remarked that a strict view be taken of the violation of the ban on operating inter-city buses and the transporters should use the new terminal and the facilities made available to them and the passengers there at a considerable expense to the public exchequer.
The bench was informed that work was in full swing on the new terminals on the National and Super highways at Malir, Pirabad (Korangi) and Nazimabad for vehicles plying between Karachi and upcountry and between the city and the interior of Sindh and that they were likely to be functional very soon.
The bench said there was an urgent need to ease the worsening traffic situation and pending the construction of new terminals, which may take time, makeshift bus stands be set up at the defunct Karachi Road Transport Corporation depots, which have already been ordered to be vacated by the police and rangers.
The city district government was asked to submit a report on the shifting of the Quetta-bound vehicles and the bus stands for other intra-provincial and inter-provincial buses. Further hearing was adjourned to December 18.
