KARACHI, Nov 13: The Sindh government has decided to shift all illegal bus termini presently operational in various parts of the city outside city limits, said Sindh Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui here on Monday.

Speaking at a joint meeting of transport departments of the Sindh and the city governments here, he said the growing traffic congestion on the arteries of Karachi was causing serious social and environmental issues, and shifting all illegal inter-city bus termini outside the city limits had became inevitable to cope with this issue.

The meeting was briefed on plan to shift illegal bus termini to inter-city bus terminals at the Yousuf Goth, RCD Highway, and future plans of setting up new inter-city termini at the Superhighway and National Highway.

The meeting was told that an inter-city bus terminal for buses plying interior Sindh and northern areas routes would be set up on Superhighway on 15 acres at Deh Batti Umeri some 10km from Sohrab Goth.

Another inter-city bus terminus would be set on the National Highway at Razzaqabad on 15 acres, the meeting was told.

It was also stated that the government was trying to complete these two projects by the end of coming year.

It may be recalled that presently some 200 illegal inter-city bus terminals are operating in various parts of the city. These illegal bus terminals are mainly operating at city areas including Old Sabzi Mandi, Sorhab Goth, M A Jinnah Road, Cantt Station, Lea Market, PIDC, Mauripur, Patel Para, Mansfield Street, Garden Road, Nishtar Road, Banaras Chowk, Orangi Town and North Nazimabad. These illegal bus termini are not only creating traffic chaos in the city, but also increasing environmental pollution in the city.

Some 100 to 200 buses and coaches, plying various inter-city routes, operate from here, creating serious traffic congestion in the affected areas.—PPI