KARACHI: Sindh Transport Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the government has no intention to ban the operation of Careem and Uber, but the implementation of transport rules is the government’s responsibility.

The minister, who was responding to the call attention notice of Jamal Ahmad of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement during the Sindh Assembly session here on Wednesday, further stated that use of non-commercial vehicles as commercial ones was illegal and the government could initiate action against such use of private vehicles under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1965. Besides, he said, it was necessary that they paid 10 per cent tax to the excise department for the commercial use of their vehicles.

He said the government was fully aware of the transport problems faced by commuters and did not want to undo the Careem and Uber services. However, it was the responsibility of both the companies to follow the relevant rules.

The minister said Careem had repeatedly been directed to comply with the provisions of the motor vehicles laws while Uber had failed to obtain fitness certificates and route permits for its remaining vehicles. However, he said, the government had not taken action against any vehicle while ‘Takht-i-Lahore’ had initiated action on the night of Jan 30 against both the services.

The minister said: “We don’t want to ban them as we feel that until the government arranges a better transport service for the citizens, it has no right to withdraw the facility provided by [someone else]” and that was why the government had been overlooking the black and yellow taxis because if they were banned suddenly, people would face hardship.

He said the government was also working on a bill to set up ‘rent-a-car authority’ to regulate their services and hoped soon a draft would be ready for legislation.

Earlier speaking on his call attention notice Jamal Ahmad said poor and middle-class people got a cheap and better commuting service in the form of Careem and Uber. Drivers of their vehicles were educated and had driving licences and people could call the vehicles online without much hassle and at a reasonable fare.

As far as fitness of vehicles was concerned as required under the transport laws in the metropolis, vehicles dating back to 1964 were being operated without fitness certificates and the transport department had never taken action against such vehicles.

Responding to the call attention notice of Shazia Jawaid of the MQM regarding the inordinate delay in the construction of the building of Englo Boys Lower Secondary School located in PS-91, her constituency in Baldia Town, which was started in 2002, Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar said the building of the school was ready except finishing work which would be completed during the current financial year. He said he would hold a personal inquiry about the school building and if irregularities were found, action would be taken against the official concerned.

Senior Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro in reply to the call attention notice of Syed Nadeem Mirza of the MQM regarding the existence of liquor shops in Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, in Muslim-majority areas, said all permits issued for wine shops in the province were aimed at selling wine to non-Muslims only and if any complaint was received about violation of the condition, action was taken against such shops.

Earlier the MQM lawmaker speaking on this notice said that most of the wine shops were in areas where Muslims were in a majority and schools and mosques were located, and in some areas alcohol home-delivery service had also been started. He demanded that the wine shops be shifted away from the Muslim-majority areas.

Malir flyover

In reply to the call attention notice of Naila Munir of the MQM, Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro said work on the Malir flyover had been completed and it had been opened for traffic. However, work on one of its sections was in progress. He said work on that section was suspended because some railways quarters and a mosque fell in its way. The issues were being negotiated and would be sorted out soon. The flyover was named after Abdullah Murad.

After completion of the agenda, the situation in the house became tense when speaking on his point of order Dr Zafar Kamali of the MQM drew the attention of the house towards the termination of services from the educational board office of all 52 Urdu-speaking employees in Mirpurkhas city by the PPP government.

Nisar Khuhro, objecting to the remarks of ethnicity, said the Pakistan Peoples Party and its government did not discriminate among people living in Sindh.

The deputy speaker, who was presiding over the session, tried to interrupt the MQM MPA saying that “instead of making a speech keep yourself restricted to your point of order” and also threatened to adjourn the session if he did not stop the speech. As the MQM lawmaker did not pay any heed to her remarks, the chair, who had called the house to order at 10.30am, called it a day at 12.35pm to meet at 10am on Thursday.

Motorway?

Transport Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the Sindh government will approach the federal government over renaming the Superhighway between Karachi and Hyderabad as ‘motorway’ after repair and renovation work.

The first phase of the highway, named M-9, set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Nooriabad on Feb 3, was no match for the motorway built between Lahore and Multan, the minister said.

Published in Dawn February 2nd, 2017