IT has become virtually impossible in Karachi to get rid of auto-rickshaws, for they have now conveniently outnumbered yellow (and black & yellow) cabs. Today the city roads are swarmed with rickshaws, and no one working for the city administration is pushed about how to tackle the public transport problem.

Articles published in the newspapers and read out at highfalutin conferences on the subject seem to have cut no ice with the authorities concerned. In a sharp contrast, half a century back, those who were at the helm constantly made plans to make life convenient for city dwellers (how much they succeeded in their endeavours is a different story altogether).

On Sept 29, 1965 the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) held a meeting presided over by commissioner of Karachi Syed Darbar Ali Shah. It was decided at the meeting that a four-seater mini taxi would be introduced with its fare fixed at 30 paisa per mile to gradually replace the rickshaws. It was not a regular discussion which would be arranged to justify one’s salary. The members of the RTA were serious in their attempt. So much so that they even inspected a model of the three-wheel taxi which, after getting the final touches, would have cost Rs6,700 apiece. As far as fuel consumption went, experts suggested it was 60 miles to a gallon. After thoroughly examining the model taxi, the commissioner did not give it the go-ahead then and there. He thought there were some issues that needed to be fixed. For example, he ordered that the ceiling of the vehicle be raised to make it comfortable for passengers. How considerate is that!

Yes, and the commissioner was a very active man. He would move around the city (and not twiddle his thumbs in his office) on a regular basis to see if there were any issues that needed his attention. On Sept 28, he paid a visit to the vegetable wholesale market on University Road (imagine a government official doing that today). After scrutinising the market he sensed that the prices were a tad on the higher side. He asked the vegetable dealers to help the administration in keeping the vegetables prices at a reasonable level. Remember, those were the days when the country had just begun recovering from the effects of a full-blown war against India, therefore it was all the more important for everyone to make things as convenient for citizens, for each other, as possible.

By the way, the war had not completely ended by that time. On the night of Oct 2, the deputy commissioner of Karachi, who was also the civil defence controller, imposed partial blackout in the city till further orders. The citizens of Karachi were so involved in the whole situation, as was mentioned in the last column, that they had started to send gifts and other material to help and support the country’s soldiers. On Oct 4, it was reported that a group of social workers had delivered a number of gift parcels to the army station commander in Karachi for distribution to the soldiers on the frontline. The parcels contained sweets and biscuits. Not just that, the wife of a lieutenant colonel, who did not wish to be named, donated a set of gold bangles to the National Defence Fund. Shouldn’t we be proud of the women of our country?

Published in Dawn, September 28th , 2015

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