AS a student in Karachi in 2014, I vividly remember my daily commute to the university on the old and worn-out buses. The buses were always overcrowded, and I could never find a seat for myself. Instead, I had to endure the continuous jerks and bumps of the journey while standing in a cramped space. I often felt lucky if I could manage to hold onto a handle and avoid falling over.

Recently, after a decade, I had the opportunity to visit Karachi again. I naturally looked forward to my trip down the memory lane. I was quite sure that the transportation system would have improved. After all, cities like Islamabad and Lahore have made significant progress in this regard in recent years. I just assumed that Karachi would have managed similar facilities for its people. However, my expectations were shattered as I found during my trip that nothing much had changed.

The poor transportation system was still the same, and the people of Karachi were still struggling to commute to their destinations using the city’s public transportation system which I found to be in as dilapidated a condition as it was a decade ago.

I have no idea if this is a political issue or an administrative lapse, but I did find it rather odd that the largest city of the country has such a pathetic and dilapidated public transport system. The provincial government as well as the city administration need to take immediate action to urgently improve the deplorable transportation system. A failure to take decisive action would further add to the woes of the city of lights. Will the authorities concerned listen?

Shakil Ahmad
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2024