KARACHI, May 1: The free shuttle service begun by the city government last year for I. I. Chundrigar Road has been halted for the last three weeks without any official word from the city government in this regard.

People travelling on the shuttle buses said that the buses had gone off the road for the last three weeks without any announcement to this effect either by the city government or the contractor concerned.

They said they were facing immense hardship due to the ‘closure’ of the service as the entry of public transport was banned on the road.

The city government’s EDO for transport and communications could not be contacted despite repeated attempts as he was not attending his cellphone. However, sources in the city government, confirming the closure of the service, told Online that the service was halted on April 7 owing to the digging of a portion of the road from Merewether Tower to the Habib Bank Plaza.

“The free shuttle service was being run from the Arts Coucil to the Merewether Tower and after the excavation of a portion of the road, the route was curtailed to the Habib Bank Plaza.

“As the distance from the Arts Council to the plaza is not `too long’ and can be covered on foot, the service was halted by the CDGK which had to pay Rs2,000 daily for each bus of the service.”

The sources said the city government was contemplating to restore the old system of transport on the artery after its reconstruction.

The city government on February 2006 banned the entry of public transport on the artery on the pretext of launching a Rs200 million project for the renovation of the road, to prevent traffic jams for the convenience of the businessmen, especially foreigners visiting regularly the financial and trade institutions situated on and around the road.

After banning the entry of public transport, the city government initiated a free shuttle service between the Arts Council and the Merewether Tower.

A fleet of eight buses formed the shuttle service, which even when operational were not enough to cater to the need of the people travelling on the road, which houses the Karachi Stock Exchange, the Cotton Exchange, the head offices and branches of almost all local and foreign banks, including the State Bank, financial and administrative institutions, the main railway reservation office and the DS office as well as many government offices.

The City Railway Station, major newspaper offices, GPO, Telegraph Office and CCPO office are also situated on this artery that are enhancing the importance of this road. On a working day, tens of thousands of people travel between this commercial, business and financial centre and the rest of the Karachi.

Citizens, mostly office-goers, traders and passengers intending to travel to some upcountry destinations suffer owing to the non-availability of public transport as the buses of the shuttle service are too few and they have to wait for 30 to 40 minutes for the shuttle buses.

Many commuters demand that the city government restore the previous scheme of transport on Chundrigar Road as thousands of people had to walk or pay exorbitant fares to rickshaws and taxis to avoid delays in reaching their destinations on this road. —Online