The Sindh Assembly on Thursday passed Sindh Mass Transit Authority Bill 2014 with a unanimous vote to evolve planning for better transportation systems across the province. Tabled by Sindh Transport Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, the bill seeks formation of the mass transit authority to carry out planning of transport networks across the province. The authority will also collaborate with other organisations to ensure regulations of the plans.
The authority will develop systems and enforce regulations to ensure safe, easy and durable mass transit. It will also supervise routes, services, fares etc, of the metro buses. A board will govern the authority's affairs with Sindh Transport Minister as chairman. Mayors or administrators of Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur will be co-chairmen of the board. The authority head office will be in Karachi with offices in other cities of the province.
Nasir Shah presented a draft in the house that the standing committee for transport and mass transit had evolved. For a deliberation, the assembly had referred the bill to the standing committee in 2014. The committee's recommendations on the authority formation were made part of the bill that sailed through the house unanimously.
"The standing committee submitted its report very late," Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah told the house, saying that the pending bill had held back several development initiatives. The bill was sent to the committee in December 2014, though it has done a good job, he said, hoping the bill passage would help end transportation issues in the province.
"Everyone should abide by the law to make the transportation system better," he said, asking the minister to get their vehicles registered. "I too have removed the CM Sindh plate and fixed a registered number plate to the vehicle," he said, adding that "I get flags removed from one of the ministers' vehicles for not having a registration number".
On a point of order, opposition leader Khawaja Izhar sought facilities for the city's imprisoned Mayor, Waseem Akhtar in jail. He said that the mayor had been barred from attending the city council sitting the other day. In a reply, Murad Ali Shah said that the mayor would be provided with all possible facilities as per law.
The house also passed 'the Karachi Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship Bill, 2015, which Sindh Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Nisar Khuhro had tabled. Khuhro also introduced the Sindh Prohibition of Sheesha Smoking Bill 2016. The house was adjourned to meet today at 10 am.