DAWN.COM

IT would have helped political parties in the coming election had they performed and delivered to their respective constituents, instead of wasting time indulging in mud-slinging.

Critics of the Rs32 billion Lahore Rapid Bus Service project, completed within a year, instead of politicising this issue should understand that if the justification for the much-needed JICA-assisted Karachi Circular Railway 50km track revival at an estimated revised cost of $2.50 billion according to estimates worked out in August 2012, which have now escalated to Rs250 billion or even more, because of inflation and rise in construction cost, then the same justification is valid for Lahore project.

Karachi definitely needs such a public transport system and it is long overdue. Those whom the people voted to power in Sindh should have provided relief to common citizens by building quality roads, bridges, embankments, canals, schools, health units and a reliable public transport system, instead of doing nothing to show on ground.

The Karachi Bus Rapid Transit System estimated at $223 million in 2008 was deferred due to lack of consensus within the government to proceed with the programme and four years wasted due bureaucratic delays in plan and land approvals required for this project.

The Karachi Mass Transit Project consisting of KCR and RBT system was initially conceived in 1998, but even after a lapse of almost over 13 years it is still a victim of corruption.

While other cities of Punjab have a normal public bus transport system on private-government cooperation, Sindh does not have any such basic system within its cities.
This does not mean that the failure of those who hold political mandate in interior Sindh can make this an excuse to stop Karachi from having a system to reduce congestion and traffic jams. Perhaps, the other three provincial governments should seek assistance from Punjab and do something concrete for their constituents, instead of this mudslinging and negativity.

ANEELA CHANDIO
Sukkur

Kudos for Metro buses
I CANNOT stop appreciating the project of Metro buses which have recently started with the cooperation of Turkey, but, after all, such thought was pioneered and executed by the proactive chief minister with his dynamic team. This being the historic measure would benefit the people and would ease travelling woes of commuters.
The same would have been started for Karachi which badly needs it, but it is really a sorry sate of affairs that even basic law and order has not been maintained by the government, leading to targeted killings on a regular basis.

The effort by the Punjab government is a beautiful addition to our history. The Sindh ruling party and its allies must have the moral courage to acknowledge the effort rather than live in denial.

NAZEER MAZNANI
Dadu

Patience required
THE inauguration of the Metro Bus Service has largely been welcomed by the people of Lahore despite what political rivals have to say about it.

This is not to praise or criticise this project, but to highlight a grey area in terms of conduct of the people who have thronged in numbers to take a free ride of this new
transport facility.

Images published in the print media showing people climbing onto the buses, as if a feast was offered, without taking into account the very basic concept of boarding public transport, that is making of a queue.

It reflects that we lack the basic norms of civilised life, such as patience, respecting the rights of others, taking care of public property, and all other attributes which make the West today the epic centre of learning.

Do we really deserve such luxuries of life as a nation when our basics are not even in place? We need not focus on becoming the next Asian Tiger, first we need to become civilised humans, and only then can we dream of competing with the developed and civilised world.

FURQAN SHABBIR
Lahore