KARACHI, July 10: Sindh Transport Minister Muhammad Adil Siddiqui has said that improvement in the basic infrastructure of public transport system was essential to make Karachi a modern city.

Addressing a high-level meeting on Monday, he said that the issues of transport in busy areas like Saddar and Tower should be given a special focus in new traffic plan. He took notice of entry of public transport vehicles into Saddar without route permit and gave necessary instructions in this regard to the Secretary PTA and the EDO Transport.

The minister asked Sindh Secretary Transport, EDO Transport and Secretary PTA to improve transport system of Karachi on modern lines to cater present and future needs of the metropolis. In this regard, he stressed that it was necessary to control pollution.

He said that to achieve this objective, all public transport vehicles older than 10 years should not ply on roads. He asked that EDO Transport to get proposals from experts in this regard and chalk out a comprehensive plan.

The minister said that factors like population expansion, volume of traffic and other basic indicators should be taken into consideration while planning for future.

The meeting was told that wholesale markets were being shifted to reduce traffic pressure from congested areas. It was told that traffic pressure would reduce after completion of Northern Bypass and Lyari Expressway projects.—PPI