KARACHI, Sept 25: Sindh Labour, Transport, Industries and Commerce Minister Muhammad Adil Siddiqui has urged the department to work on a comprehensive programme for introducing new transport culture in the province.

He was presiding over a meeting to review performance of the Sindh Transport department on Saturday.

Speaking about streamlining of transport service in Sindh, he emphasized on using pollution-free fuel, fitness of vehicles, training of both drivers and pedestrians, improvement in roads and routes, efficiency of Traffic police, etc. He directed the department to gear up the ongoing transport schemes, besides preparing new ones.

Earlier, he was informed by administration of the Karachi Public Transport & Social Education Society that it had been monitoring buses in the private sector, plying under its umbrella, as a project of the department.

Talking about the main features of the bus service under the project, he said it was required to cover inter-city routes with collaboration between the private sector and government-sponsored NGOs.

Informing about the achievements of the KPTS, he said it had been in operation on lucrative KTC routes, as a self-financing scheme, with active participation of public and private sectors, to provide the citizens with a comfortable and safe public transport.

He recalled that the Metro Bus Service "was started under the KPTS with 50 brand new 29-seat buses, with the initiative of a private transporter."

Later, the number of buses was enhanced up to 200, which were plying on various city routes. Simultaneously, 56 large-size buses were also launched on four different routes in the city, he added. At present, 253 buses and 100 Radio Cabs/Tele Taxi were plying on different routes in the city, he said.-PPI