KARACHI: Hundreds of thousands of vehicles, including costly private cars, rented coasters and Suzuki pickups, motorcycles and rickshaws would be ‘hired’ by the contesting parties and independent candidates throughout the country on the election day. This facility for voters would cost millions of rupees.

In Karachi alone, according to an estimate, of the 1,708,853 vehicles about 40,000 will be used on the election day by candidates, their supporters and government functionaries.

The transporters are expecting that of the 65,000 public transport vehicles, including rickshaws and taxis, the government would be utilising about 1,000 coaches and minibuses, while about 9,000 vehicles are expected to be hired by political parties. The rest of the vehicles, it is gathered, would be arranged by party supporters and well-wishers of the candidates, particularly in Malir, Landhi, Korangi, North Karachi, Nazimabad and Liaquatabad.

As stakes are high, candidates, political party activists and supporters may make every possible effort to reach the power echelons using all means and tactics, from hiring of vehicles to using threats to get vehicles for polling.

In most of the cases, vehicles are willingly given to candidates for election work or for carrying voters to polling stations.

In the entire electioneering, in major cities and rural centres of the country, travelling means become a major issue for candidates contesting polls, the town or city administration, the police or the election commission staff, and, above all, the voters.

The Karachi Transport Ittehad has fixed a rate of Rs3,000 for minibuses and Rs4,000 for coaches for political parties, while for police and district returning officers, they have fixed a rate of Rs3,500 for coaches and Rs3,000 for police as per their meeting with the Sindh government’s home department. This also includes fuel cost.

The transporters, however, fear that most of their vehicles might be taken away by force by the political parties for election work and for which they pay no costs.

But this time transporters are firm that they will resist any such move and the political parties should get vehicles by paying the required cost. Otherwise, “we will be forced to resort to a strike,” said Irshad Bokhari of the KTI.

The entire fleet of transport in the metropolis consists of 3,300 buses, 8,000 minibuses, 7,000 coaches, 52,000 rickshaws, 25,000 black taxis and 30,000 Yellow Cabs, 250 UTS buses, and 200 Radio cabs.

Saif Abbas, a spokesman for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, said his party had made arrangements for Suzuki vehicles in various parts of the city, and the supporters of his party provide vehicles for election work. Moreover, they need cars which are provided by their followers. So there would be no need to hire minibuses or coaches.

On an average, over 2,000 to 2,500 vehicles will be used by candidates and their supporters for election work in a National Assembly constituency, which means that in all the 20 NA and 42 PS constituencies of the city about 38,000 vehicles will be used in Karachi, according to a survey conducted by Dawn with senior citizens, policemen, and supporters of candidates.

Ghazanfar Shah, a fuel station accountant in Malir, is expecting 35 per cent increase in sales of petrol. Although at present there is no panic buying among consumers, diesel sale may go up from the present 2,000 litres to 3,000 litres and petrol sales from 1,500 litres to 2,500 litres, remarked another fuel station owner.

Election activities have reached their climax and candidates and their supporters are indulging in lavish spending on banners and posters, but there is no rush of customers on fuel stations, he remarked.

“Although use of transport usually generates a lot of activity in polls, this year the usual hustle and bustle is lacking and hence there is no major business activity, mainly because of fear among people owing to the law and order condition,” said a leading transporter.

In most of the cases, candidates are hiring coasters for Rs5,000, Suzuki Rs2,000, buses Rs3,500 to Rs4,000 and minibuses Rs3,000. This is apart from the fuel cost.

Interviews revealed that at a single polling station five to eight minibuses or coaches, a large number of motorcycles, cars and over 25 Suzuki Carry vehicles are used for electioneering by a single candidate while the average number of candidates in each constituency is seven to 10.

Abdul Sami Khan, chairman, Petroleum Dealers Association, said that normally in elections, petrol and diesel consumption increases by 25 to 30 per cent, but this year no major election activity is being witnessed as far as petroleum consumption is concerned.

He, however, stated that in the entire country, sales this year have increased by 15 to 20 per cent.

Amir Mohammad and Muslim, workers at another PSO petrol station, stated that business at present is very slow and they were expecting major activity on the election day or a day before elections.

In some constituencies, comprising posh areas like, PECHS, Defence and Clifton, as well as Gulshan-i-Iqbal, the situation is different. In these areas the candidates have to use rented cars to carry voters to polling stations. This involves a huge investment which the candidates of almost all major political parties are doing, it was revealed.

It is interesting to note that a candidate, whose symbol is rickshaw, has hired a large number of rickshaws for his election campaign and wherever he goes, rows of rickshaws provide fun to onlookers.