KARACHI: The city commissioner has formally notified nine routes of the Peoples Intra-District Bus Service.

Issuing a notification as the chairman of the Regional Transport Autho­rity (RTA) Karachi, Comm­issioner Iqbal Memon said in a statement issued on Sunday:“It is notified for the information of general public that the nine routes are classified for the operations of the Peoples Intra-District Bus Service under the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, Transport Depart­ment and National Radio Telecommunication Corporation.”

It reads that Route No.1 is stretched from Khokhrapar No.1 to KPT Tower, Route No.2 from North Karachi to Indus Hospital in Korangi, Route No.3 from Nagan Chowr­angi to Singer Chow­rangi, Route No.4 from North Karachi to Dockyard, Route No.5 from Surjani Town to PAF Base Masroor, Route No.6 from Gulshan-i-Bihar in Orangi Town to Shan Chowrangi, Route No.7 from Mosamiyat to Baldia Town, Route No.8 from Gulshan-i-Hadid to Malir Halt and Route No 9, which connects ‘red bus’ with Green Line, begins from Numaish traffic intersection and culminates at Seaview.

“These all are old routes which are already under operation,” said an official when asked about the reason to issue the notification. “The notification is a formality and after its issuance, any new transporter applied for any route would need to cater to at least 30 per cent of the buses plying on that route. Similarly, after the notification, these routes wouldn’t be used for Qingqi rickshaws.”

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2022