The Dawn
6 May 2003

KARACHI, May 3: Sindh minister for transport Mohammad Adil Siddiqui has ordered the resumption of ticketing system to avoid conflicts between commuters and conductors and to assess the income of transporters.

Presiding over a meeting with transporters here on Monday, he urged the transporters to close forthwith the ladies compartment in public transport buses for male commuters.

He took serious notice of frequent traffic accidents, playing of tape-recorders, use of pressure horns in public transport vehicles and non-implementation of traffic rules.

Issues of badges for drivers and conductors, discounted fare for students after 8:30pm and maintenance of buses, coaches and mini-buses were also discussed.

The minister asked the transporters to accommodate passengers seat-by-seat and if not possible, minibus fares should be reduced for those standing. A notification in this respect will be issued within three or four days after consultations with the transporters and the government, he added.

He expressed resentment over frequent accidents and directed the bus owners to refrain from employing unlicensed drivers so that chances of accidents could be minimized. He also directed the drivers and the conductors to paste PSP badges.

The minister directed the DIG Traffic to ensure implementation of traffic rules and stressed that patrolling of traffic police be made effective. Bus-lanes should be made by Traffic Engineering Bureau and City District Government to remove hindrances in flow of traffic, he added.

The chairman of the Karachi Transport Ittehad, Irshad Hussein Bokhari, general secretary of Taxi-Owners Association Chan Zeb Awan, Allauddin Shah of Truck Owners Association, Mohammad Ilyas of Karachi Bus Owners Association represented transporters.