KARACHI, Sept 29 The urban public transport problem in Karachi is aggravating with each passing day. The provincial and city governments seem to be lacking a vision and strategy to deal with the situation where the growing population looks for an increasing number of public transport means but the number of vehicles is on the decline due to a number of reasons. Ironically, no new bus routes have been introduced for years while no buses are being operated on at least 36 existing routes.

The public transport problem in the city has aggravated dramatically over the years and has now become the most serious one being faced by Karachiites at the moment. New bus routes are badly needed in the extending populated area, especially the city's suburbs. Due to neglect on the part of the authorities concerned, a large number of people have to change several buses to reach their destination.

According to the figures posted on the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) website, the city's population, which stood at 9,269,265 in 1998, has now touched the 18 million mark. The number of commuters has also increased over the past decade at a rate in propotion with that of the population growth but the number of buses, minibuses, coaches and other public transport vehicles has registered a considerable decrease.

The authorities concerned have miserably failed to provide any relief to commuters despite having spent millions of rupees on improving the public transport system over the past five years.

Sources in the city government said that one of the major reasons behind the failure to improve the city's public transport system was that transporters were not ready to make investment and bring in buses. “Instead, they are systematically reducing the number of the buses and minibuses presently plying on various routes,” the sources claimed. It is believed that the transporters want to maintain their present level of earnings through a reduced number of operative buses to make the business viable and more profitable. Their strategy works as passengers do not mind travelling in crowded buses and minibuses and people travelling atop buses and minibuses, standing on footboards and clinging to bumpers is a common sight on many routes.

UTS/CNG buses

The CNG buses imported from China and some other countries on the grounds of maintaining healthy environment and containing commuters' woes, have since been withdrawn. The sources said that 40 new bus routes were allocated to the Urban Transport System (UTS) and for the CNG buses fleet in 2003 and some buses were operated on these routes for quite some time. However, the buses disappeared gradually from most of these routes and no reasons for the withdrawal has been made public yet.

The sources said that buses were being operated on just four of the 40 routes with the numbers being UTS-1, UTS-11, UTS-12 and UTS-13.

The UTS-1 shuttles between Surjani Town and Dockyard/Keamari via Nagan Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, Lasbella, Guru Mandir and Tower.

The UTS-11 runs on Khokarapar-Orangi Town (Gulshan-i-Bihar) route via Saudabad, Sharea Faisal, Karsaz, Civic Centre, Liaquatabad No.10, Nazimabad, Habib Bank, Valika, Banaras, Orangi-5, ZMC and Orangi-13.

The route of UTS-12 operate between Khokarapar and Baldia (Yousuf Goth) via Saudabad, Sharea Faisal, FTC, Lucky Star, RTA Office, Shaheen Complex, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Tower, Wazir Mansion, Gulbai, Shehshah, Hub River Road, Moachh Goth and Naval Colony.

The UTS-13 plies between Khokrapar and Ittehad Town via Saudabad, Sharae Faisal, NIPA, Sohrab Goth, Nagan Chowrangi, Hyderi, Board Office, Abdullah College, Banaras and Orangi.

“Commercial transporters have not introduced new wide-bodie buses on any new route in Karachi during the last 10 years,” said Irshad Bukhari, President of the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI).

“Actually we don't need new routes as we don't have enough number of buses left in our fleets to ply even on the existing routes,” he added.

“During the last five years we have not applied for any new route permit for minibuses, and instead the number of minibuses and coaches has decreased, considerably. We have stopped plying buses and minibuses on many routes due to a shortage of vehicles.”

In the past, the private public transporters possessed about 3,300 large-sized buses but due to increasing diesel prices, they could not afford their maintenance and around 500 of these large-sized buses had to be sent to scrap dealers, he added.

“We are already running short of buses and in this condition we cannot operate buses on new routes. We know the disappearance of buses is causing problems to the masses but we can't help it. We had a total of 15,000 minibuses and coaches with us but now we are left with only 10,000 minibuses and coaches as 5,000 of them have been converted into loading trucks,” he said.

“There is no charm in the public transport business now in Karachi. That is why transporters are not ready to bring in more buses,” he added.

He agreed that there was a need for more buses in all parts of the city as the population had increased. New routes were also required, he said, adding that it would be difficult to cater to the needs of Karachi commuters even if 10,000 new buses were introduced on an emergency basis.

Non-functional routes

The 36 routes where UTS and CNG buses have stopped plying are UTS-2 route Surjani/North Karachi to Keamari; UTS-3 from Surjani to Korangi, UTS-4 from Surjani to Shireen Jinnah Colony; UTS-21 from Surjani Sector 5-D to Seaview, UTS-22 from Surjani Sector 5-D to Tower, UTS-27 from Surjani Sector-5 to Defence Phase-VII (Extension), UTS-28 from Surjani Town (Sector 7) to Tower and UTS-34 from Surjani Town (Sector 7) to Korangi Industrial Area (Sharifabad), UTS-19 from Gulishtan-i-Jauhar to Tower, UTS-20 from Gulshan-i-Maymar to Yousuf Goth, Baldia, UTS-23 from Gulistan-i-Jauhar to Seaview (Clifton), UTS-29 from Gulistan-i-Jauhar to Fisheries/Dockyard, UTS-8 from Gulshan-i-Hadeed to Dockyard and UTS-8-A route from Gulshan-i-Hadeed to Tower, UTS-16 from

Baldia to Keamari, UTS-30 from Baldia to Shah Latif Town, UTS-31 from Baldia to Landhi (Sherpao Colony), UTS-32 from Baldia to Landhi (Labour Square), UTS-33 route from Baldia to Landhi (Labor Square), UTS-14 from Orangi to Tower/Dockyard and UTS-15 route from Orangi to Clifton/Shirin Jinnah Colony, UTS-6 from Malir Cantt to Tower and UTS-7 route from Malir Cantt to Karachi Cantt, UTS-35 from Khokhrapar to Orangi Town (Gulshan-i-Bihar), UTS-36 route from Khokhrapar to Clifton, UTS-10 from Korangi to Baldia, UTS-25 from Korangi 100-Quarters to Qasba, UTS-26 route from Landhi to Saddar, UTS-17 from Al-Asif Square to Baldia, UTS-18 from Quaidabad to West Wharf, UTS-37 from Landhi (Labour Square) to Ittehad Town, UTS-5 route from Taiser Town to Dockyard, UTS-9 from Labour Square (Landhi) to Tower/West Wharf, UTS-24 from Scheme 33 (White House) to Tower, UTS-38 route from Memon Goth (Gadap Town) to West Wharf and UTS-39 route from Razzaqabad (Bin Qasim Town) to Quaidabad.—PPI