KARACHI: More than 50 per cent buses, minibuses and coaches in the city have disappeared from roads with some 200 routes being shrunk to only 80 over the past decade mainly due to ‘increase in fuel prices and government apathy’, revealed an official document on Sunday.

“Karachi has witnessed the disappearance of over 12,000 public service buses, minibuses and coaches in the last decade,” stated a letter written by deputy inspector general of traffic police to the transport secretary, while calling for urgent measures to save the public transport sector from total collapse.

“There were 20,000 buses, minibuses and coaches in the city till 2000, but now only 8,000 are operational. Similarly, there were 200 routes of public transport buses and minibuses in the last decade but now 80 are operational,” the DIG stated.

The DIG traffic also sounded worried about an ‘illegal’ mode of transport, Qinqi motorcycle-rickshaws, replacing the fast declining number of buses, minibuses and coaches. He stated: “... decrease in the number of public transport has created a huge public convenience which is filled by illegal Qinqi motorcycles or extra seat rickshaws running on the roads.” The motorbike-rickshaws were adding to city traffic woes, he added.

“It is not out of place to mention here that in transporter’s view they are reluctant to bring in new buses, minibuses or coaches in the city due to increase in fuel prices, vehicle prices, government apathy, disincentive and non-insurance cover to their vehicles in case they are burnt during violence.”

The situation was highlighted by the traffic authorities months after a report compiled by renowned city planner Arif Hasan with Mansoor Raza and the Urban Resource Centre staff had raised similar concerns.

Titled ‘Karachi: the transport crisis’, the report argued that the public transport sector of the country’s largest city was on the verge of collapse due to a history of failure, negligence, inefficiency and lack of follow-through in both government and public-private partnership projects.

The 32-page report, which was released in January 2015 after almost 200 officials, transporters’ representatives and members of the public had been interviewed, painted a bleak picture of the state of transport affairs in Karachi. It indicated that transporters were crippled by high fuel costs and limited government support, while the public was caught between rising prices and an inadequate number of alternative options. The letter sent by the DIG traffic also came up with similar thoughts, calling for immediate incentives to the public transport sector to overcome the consistently growing crisis.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2015

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