KARACHI, Aug 3: Newly introduced air-conditioned buses being operated by two separate companies in the identical name of ‘green bus’ has really brought a sigh of relief to commuters but the companies have not met the promises to bring a change in the transport culture.

Passengers travelling in the buses of Swede-Bus Pakistan and the CNG buses of the Green Bus Company (GBC) expressed their opinion that the service of Swedish buses was better than that of the CNG buses. However, the fare structure of the CNG buses was suitable for commuters than that of the Swedish buses.

The buses were imported from Sweden by the Swede-Bus Pakistan, a consortium of three companies. The GBC was being run by a group of overseas Pakistanis, who imported buses from China.

At present, 32 Swedish and 28 Chinese CNG buses are being plied on roads.

The commuters, however, complained that the air-conditioners in the Chinese CNG buses usually were not effective in hot and humid weather, when bus drivers allow passengers beyond capacity. These buses used to violate the designated bus stops, they added.

They said that the air-conditioners of Swedish buses worked fairly were, but they often violated the designated bus stops. Some commuters said that bus drivers did not stop at any of the designated bus stops if they did not have passengers to alight there.

In the morning and evening, the commuters complained, drivers of all green buses often packed their buses with passengers beyond capacity, while diminishing the difference between the modern bus service and the traditional minibus service of transport mafia.

The time between two CNG buses was quite long, while the frequency of Swedish buses was quite encouraging, the commuters said and added that an increase in frequency of buses was badly needed.

Commuters of the CNG buses complained that curtains had been removed, doors of some buses were not closed properly, and women’s compartment was not separated.

They also complained that the frequency of the CNG buses became less in peak hours especially rendering its passengers stranded on bus stops. The CNG bus service was usually suspended on a route from Safora Goth to Tower on Sundays, they added.

The passengers, who had experienced travelling in both buses, said that the frequency of the Swedish buses was better than that of the CNG buses. The Swedish buses were properly maintained and women’s compartment was entirely separated.

They said different teams of government officials had paid surprise visits regularly in the CNG green buses to check proper issuance of tickets, but such instance was never witnessed in the Swedish buses.

Passengers feared that the new bus service may lose its uniqueness if a proper check was not put on them. Earlier, minibuses and coaches were introduced with promises that they would be air-conditioned and would pick and drop passengers at designated stops. Later, the air-conditioners disappeared from such buses and a difference between them and other transport mode almost vanished.

The passengers often urge the authorities to allow monthly passes to regular passengers of these large buses and increase the number of buses during peak hours.

It may be mentioned here that the GBC operate buses under the Urban Transport Scheme, according to which the government offers incentives to the investors in transport sector. The Swede-Bus Pakistan has brought in a direct investment and operates their buses under Karachi Public Transport Society (KPTS).

Besides, providing the bus service, both the companies have not brought in any significant change in the overall transport culture so far.

At a simple ceremony on the arrival of the buses at the Karachi Port Trust, Ahmed Shabir, Cheif of the Swede-Bus Pakistan had said, “We are going to set a new trend in the transport culture and give others a model guideline to follow. We will build 40 bus stops with a distance of 1.5km along each of the two routes allotted to us and we will also be responsible for their maintenance.”

However, more than six months have lapsed since the Swedish bus operation began, but no bus stop has been built by the company except a few sheds which were installed at some points.

Sources in the government said that the city government had invited open bids for construction of bus stops, in which the Swede-Bus Pakistan also participated. However, the matter is still pending with the city government.

Sources said that the Swede-Bus Pakistan had promised to bring 100 more buses within a year of the operation and build an assembly plant at the depot. However, the company had neither announced to bring more buses nor they had installed any assembly plant so far.