KARACHI, July 28: EDO Transport and Communication City District Government Karachi has taken notice of the sale of buses being operated under the Urban Transport Scheme (UTS) in Karachi by several companies.

The Worldwide Express has sold its 30 UTS buses to a party in Multan, and has approached the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department and District Regional Transport Authority for an NOC to enable them to secure a route permit and for transfer of registration to Punjab.

The EDO in a letter to the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department has requested that NOC should not be issued and a ban be imposed on operation of these buses anywhere else, except Karachi.

In 2002, the Sindh cabinet had approved UTS Service Agreement under the National Transport Strategy and the service was launched the same year.

The UTS has provided a number of special incentives, including customs duty exemption, terminal facilities and long haul routes etc for exclusive use by qualified operators.

The agreement signed by the company was binding for five years and operator is bound not to sell any assets or change management without written consent of the CDGK. The Worldwide Express recently closed its service on Safora Goth-Tower and North Karachi-Clifton routes. A large number of commuters using these services are annoyed and are compelled to reach destinations after changing more than one bus.—PPI