| February 01, 2009 | Sunday | Safar 05, 1430 |
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Who grabs the larger slice?
PROBLEM: endemic. Who grabs the larger slice of the national cake which is shrinking by the day? Karachi, population 17 million, has a vehicle population of 1.7 million. Transportation to work, school and play congests roads, pollutes the air, consumes excessive fuel, and causes high levels of sickness and frustration (‘road rage’).
This is one of the few mega-cities in the world without a proper public transportation system. The fact that millions are able to get from A to B and back is a owed in large measure to the private sector which runs old, dilapidated, smoke-regurgitating buses, wagons, coaches, taxis and rickshaws — to make up for the abdication of duty by our government. Mass transport systems in most countries (including the tube/metro of London and New York) are subsidised by the city administration as most passengers would not be able to afford the actual costs of such travel.
In September 2008, Enrique Penalosa, former Mayor of Bogota, addressed civil society and those in Karachi concerned about the quality of life in cities of the developing world that are due to double or treble in size by 2050. He gave details of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) that he implemented in Bogota (‘TransMilenio’ video at www.streetfilms.org/archives/bus-rapid-transit-bogota/): dedicated lanes for articulated buses, feeder buses from locations away from main routes, special parking for cycles, pre-boarding fare payment, central control room, and capital costs at 35 per cent of that for underground systems.
He also detailed his successes against car parking on footpaths/green belts, reduction in inner city road widths and increase in sidewalk widths, diversion of money from roads for cars to paths for cycles and pedestrians, public parks/spaces, schools, libraries and museums. Penalosa legislated an annual ‘car-free’ day and a reduction in cars during peak hours. One could have a city that was friendly to cars or have a city that was friendly to people: one could not have both.
Back to 2005/06 when the Government of Sindh (GoS) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) came up with the Karachi Mega City Sustainable Development Project (KMCSDP) to “enhance the economic potential of Karachi, strengthen its mega-city functions, and improve its living environment”. A Project Support Unit (PSU) administered by the GoS finance department would be the ‘executing agency’ and the Local Support Unit (LSU) administered by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) would be the ‘implementing agency’.
An ADB loan, along with GoS funds, totalling $800m would be made available for four sub-projects of mega-city development over a 13-year period: informal housing, solid waste management, transport/mass transit infrastructure (including BRTS) and water/waste-water management.
In late 2007, extensive broad-based consultation workshops were held in Karachi to obtain stakeholder comments on studies and ‘roadmaps’ for the four sub-projects prepared by foreign consultants and local officials to “guide policy, investment programming and implementation”.
Then, in February 2008, the PPP formed the provincial government and began a ‘cold war’ with the MQM which was running the city of Karachi. Various institutions and sectors became bones of contention — slices of the shrinking cake.
In July 2008, an early act of the new government was to approach ADB to completely ‘reform’ the focus and complexion of the project: it changed from a multi-sector KMCSDP to a single-sector Sindh Urban Mass Transit Development Programme (SUMTDP) that would address urban transport issues only (not water/sewerage, housing, or solid waste) in Karachi and other cities of Sindh. The ADB loan component was to be reduced to $450m. In Karachi, the project would concentrate on development of a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on six priority routes, modernisation of traffic signals/management systems, and a Light Rail Transport (LRT) study. And the GoS, with no technical expertise, would run the show. The ADB decided to go along.
In September 2008, Chief Minister Commuter Qaim Ali Shah, without consulting his transport department or the CDGK, notified a Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) under the finance department. This move was perceived as an effort to minimise the city’s role in the ADB project, even though CDGK had the expertise and had done the ground work.
MQM nazim Mustafa Kamal on Sept 17 ‘rushed’ to Islamabad and managed to convince President Asif Zardari that transport in Karachi was an ‘urban issue’ and should be implemented by CDGK. Zardari asked the GoS to explain its viewpoint. Inter alia, two reasons were put forward: the GoS Transport Department and CDGK lack capacity, the ADB wants a central authority to run the project (both untrue).
An ADB mission came to Pakistan in mid-November 2008 to finalise the repackaged SUMTDP programme. It returned to Manila and reported on the tension and “limited coordination” between city and provincial governments, and “political instability”. It recognised “risks and delays due to inadequate capacities of GoS and SMTA”, belated action on “organisation efficiency”, “lack of commitment”, ‘failure to mobilise the necessary counterpart funds”, etc, etc.
The ADB had had enough. Director-General Juan Miranda wrote to the Economic Affairs Division in Islamabad on Dec 11 lamenting the lack of “consensus within the [CDGK and Sindh] governments to proceed.... After more than four years, we have continuing problems with government approvals, and major changes in focus, scope and direction.
“In July 2008, the programme was reconfigured at the request of GoS as an urban transport programme for Karachi and with new implementation arrangements. Unfortunately, approval of the PC-1 and other steps could not be achieved and the scope of the investment programme could not be agreed. On a broader level, the TA Loan, originally designed to provide the pre-requisite planning, systems integration and capacity development to underpin the investment programme, has not been successful since the majority of activities could not be completed.
“Therefore, we believe that investment of further time and resources on the part of ADB and GoS under the present circumstances is not worthwhile and we have no alternative but to defer the programme.”
End of story. Everyone runs from a failing country. Where does this leave the citizens of Karachi? Mass transit (especially BRTS) is critical for the exploding population of this city. Concerned citizens and planners in the private sector are supportive of the need for this convenient affordable public transport system which will reduce congestion, save scarce fuel, and decrease the alarming air pollution and consequent illness.
How do we get the federal, provincial and city political powers-that-be to set aside their squabbles over the cake in the interest of the citizens and the future of the country? arfc@cyber.net.pk
