Ineffective public transport Sir, This is with reference to the letter ‘Woes of Karachi’s citizens’ (Aug 19) published in your newspaper. The issues the people of Karachi face have been rightly pointed out by the writer. Among those, the issue of transport is of most concern to me, as I myself face difficulties caused by it.

Karachi’s public transport vehicles are in pathetic condition. Most of them do not even have proper seats. An office-going passenger, properly dressed, when going to the office in one of these vehicles sometimes reaches the office in a rough condition, as if he has been beaten by someone on the way! Besides, passengers are pushed like animals into already overloaded buses when there is shortage of vehicles and a large number of passengers is waiting for a bus at a stop.

Unlike public transport in other big cities, such as Lahore, buses here pick and drop passengers from the middle of the road, not waiting for a proper bus stop to come. This sometimes results in robbery/snatching as criminals get in and out of the bus in between stops, robbing passengers in the meantime.

These conditions make public transport undesirable for the citizens of Karachi. Eventually, people choose to pay higher fares to rickshaws to get around town.

In this regard, I would like to request the authorities concerned to look into the matter to make the lives of people of Karachi better and easier where public transport is concerned.

AHSAN ALI SHAIKH DHA

Faulty street light Sir, My house is located at plot no. 142/1 on 34th Street off Khayaban-i-Muhafiz, DHA Phase Six. The problem is that the street light opposite my house has been out of order for the last several days.

On my complaint it was repaired but it was operational for three days only. Hence I presume there is some defect which needs to be checked and removed to avoid frequent problems.

I shall be grateful if the chief engineer of the CBC will please direct his technical team to do the needful.

CAPTAIN S.A.K. NAQVI Via email

Animals suffering at zoo Sir, This is apropos of the picture and news report published in the Metropolitan section (Aug 15). The animals are being treated so badly at the Karachi zoo that it would be better if we released them into the wild and ended their suffering.

As an anonymous saying goes: “A zoo is a place where animals study human behaviour.”

DR KHURRUM FIAZUDDIN North Nazimabad

Water tanker mafia Sir, The residents of Karachi are being constantly denied access to basic utilities. Of course electricity tops the list, but not far behind is the supply or rather lack of supply of water.

The tanker mafia has taken over completely and has held hostage the people of the city into buying water at exorbitant rates. The KWSB is fully aware of this and seems to be part of this moneymaking scheme. Many blocks of Clifton, which till five years ago were getting regular water supply, are now at the mercy of the tanker mafia.

Officials and linemen reportedly use the water board’s hydrants to sell water every evening for a sum of Rs1,800 for a 2,000-gallon tanker. The rest of the water is sent free of cost to government official’s residences and offices.

The due share of the areas in Clifton is not supplied and the days the residents are lucky enough to get water in their pipes, they are left to survive with only 25-30 minutes of supply.

When the entire system turns corrupt and when the bosses are involved and look the other way, then all citizens can do is raise their voices against such corruption.

QUDSIA KADRI Karachi mailbag@dawn.com