THE lack of decent transport system in the city has been a nuisance for the people of Karachi for long. According to Bloomberg, Karachi has recently been declared a city with the worst transit system. This should be an eye-opener and a cause of embarrassment for the government.

But, unfortunately, the government is neither willing to improve transport services in the city, nor is it open to the idea of investment in the transport sector by private investors.

To add to people’s misery, unregistered three-wheelers, known as ‘Qingqi’ rickshaws, continue to operate despite a ban by the courts for endangering the lives of passengers. Taxis have ceased to exist in the city with the emergence of ride-hailing services, while we have to make do with rickety, smoke-emitting buses.

There is nothing that makes one hopeful about having a better transport system in the foreseeable future. The Green Bus project started six years ago, but is yet to be completed. Buses have not been bought as yet for the project; let alone inaugurating it anytime soon.

The authorities concerned should provide relief to the people of Karachi by investing more in the city’s transit system.

Maryam Tehseen
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2020