• Authorities believe more space needed for hundreds of buses planned for city routes
• Assistance of police, anti-encroachment authorities will be enlisted

KARACHI: With work on multiple bus rapid transit (BRT) schemes in progress and the authorities needing space for the smooth operation of hundreds of buses, the Sindh government has decided to ask all federal and provincial institutions, including some security organisations, to vacate the premises owned by its transport department.

The decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority Board, which was chaired by Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Friday.

Official sources said that in Karachi alone several government departments have built their offices over the land of transport department.

In Hyderabad, a piece of land of the transport department was in the use of a federal anti-graft organisation, they added.

Likewise, the provincial transport department was facing issues due to the non-acquisition of land in Malir Halt from a paramilitary force for the construction of a bus depot for the BRT Red Line project. The government had already offered the force another piece of land so that the bus depot could be established at the proposed site.

Authorities believe more space needed for hundreds of buses planned for city routes

“There are several open spaces in Karachi which were previously served as bus depots of the defunct Karachi Transport Corporation,” said a senior official.

“Over the years, when the public transport operations became redundant these open spaces were taken over by several government organisations which built their structures for different purposes.”

The official said that all these organisations had been issued notices in the first phase.

Police, anti-encroachment force’s assistance

At the 13th board meeting, Sharjeel Memon issued directives to the officials to begin preparations to reclaim the land owned by the transport department.

To facilitate this process, a statement issued after the meeting said, the assistance of key officials, including the chief secretary of Sindh, IG Sindh, and Anti-Encroachment authorities, had been enlisted.

The meeting was attended by Mayor of Sukkur Arsalan Islam Shaikh, secretary of transport Asad Zamin, Managing Director of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority Kamal Dayo, DIG Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema, and other board members.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Memon emphasised that during the 12th meeting of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority Board, the decision was made to reclaim the transport department’s land.

He underlined the urgent need to remove illegal encroachments from these properties, calling for swift action with support from the chief secretary of Sindh, IG Sindh, and the anti-encroachment authorities.

The minister informed the board that notices had been issued regarding land where government office buildings had been constructed. He urged that negotiations be initiated with the relevant institutions to ensure these notices were fully complied with.

During the meeting, the transport minister, Mr Memon, also highlighted the People’s Bus Service, emphasising its role in providing relief to the public amid rising inflation.

He shared the government’s plan to expand the service to other cities and encouraged potential stakeholders to invest in the service to help broaden its reach and impact.

“This meeting reflects the Sindh government’s commitment to improving transportation infrastructure and ensuring the efficient management of government resources while addressing the needs of the public,” the statement quoted the minister as saying.

Published in Dawn, November 23th, 2024