The Sindh government has decided in principle to establish Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Transport Complex to provide better transport facilities to citizens, especially elderly people, females and students.
The complex would be established at former SRTC (Sindh Road Transport Corporation) Bungalow in Garden, Karachi, which would provide one-window operation in the larger interest of masses, sources in the transport department told Business Recorder on Tuesday.
They said the complex, to be set up over an acre land area, would comprise a five-story building, housing a bus terminal of international standard, CNG filling station, cafeteria, washroom, high security, cleanliness and other basic facilities for the citizens.
The building will also have the camp offices of transport minister, secretary provincial transport authority (PTA), secretary regional transport authority (RTA), secretary transport, while the two-stories of the complex would be rented out, which would help generate revenue for the transport department, they added.
The objective of establishment of the complex was aimed at facilitating students and they would be provided with discount in the bus fares, they said, adding that the introduction of environment friendly CNG buses by the provincial government would lead to a competition with the private sector, thus providing relief to masses in shape of cheaper bus fares.
They said the Sindh government would bring 1,000 environment friendly CNG buses on roads of various cities of the province. Of them some 600 would be plied in Karachi, while the rest in other parts of the province within four months.
However, they thought that previous government neglected the transport sector and did not pay any heed to it, causing overwhelming miseries, while the innocent citizens were left at the mercy of transport mafia to face different problems like over-seating, overcrowding, entry of males in ladies compartment, playing of cheap music in buses and coaches etc.
"Currently, the system that we have is of World War-II - British Era - which needs to be revamped," they said. To a question about the illegal bus terminals, they said the government would utilise all its resources and take action against them.