CNG Green bus service: another story of poor governance, corruption of Sindh Govt

KARACHI: CNG Green Bus Service started in 2014 from Pakistan Steel township Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Mere-weather Tower via Shahra-i-Faisal and I.I.Chundrigar Road needs immediate administrative action for the remedy of a large number of the commuters who are frustrated and angry over un-checked gross violations of the rules and very bad attitude of these buses operators.

The fleet of 35 CNG Green buses imported from China is being managed and operated by un-trained and non-educated traditional conductors and drivers ; with no apparent government checks and authority over them. They are engaged by a businessman who was awarded the contract by Sindh Government within next few days of launch of these glorious and comfortable bus service.

This service was supposed to transport daily a large population of commuters attached to this route especially from distant Bin Qasim town to and from the main city areas, told the passengers who do travel for their jobs and education.

Now, it has turned into a mess because of poor governance and alleged kick-backs to the concerned authorities of Sindh Government.

Against Rs 10 and Rs 20 fare approved by the government, the passengers are forced to pay Rs 30 and Rs 40 for travelling to the main city areas from Gulsahan-e-Hadeed and other areas of Bin Qasim Town.

The fare lists have never been displayed so far. The Green buses do not maintain timings and the designated stops. These buses also do not complete the route on one pretext or another like most other transporters do ; causing unnecessary delays and embarrassment, said the commuters of this route.

They pointed out that the situation has been deteriorating day by day. For last few days, some conductors did not bother to give tickets. When asked for tickets, instead they started using bad language and threatening the commuters.

All this led to scuffles and exchange of hot words between the passengers and these un-bridled conductors supported by their drivers with a powerful transporter on their back.

They have also started loading male passengers in the ladies' compartment and the females who were feeling safe and comfortable while travelling in the CNG Green buses are embarrassed and harassed once again.

About this shocking episode, they narrated that after getting the contract allegedly without open bidding, the contractor fixed the fares of own choice. After few months, he opted to handover these CNG Green buses imported by Sindh Government from China to the drivers and conductors under his own formula that they would pay him Rs 2500 for each trip besides bearing fuel expenses and earning their wages.

All this incited the drivers and conductors to find ways and means to multiply their earnings and resorted to gross violations of the rules and ethics.

As evidence , the people mentioned , another CNG Bus Service inaugurated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah recently do charge Rs 20 fare from one terminal to another -- Surjani Town and Mere-weather Tower.

" We have no option but to pay whatever conductors demand for travelling to the city for our jobs and education," the passengers of Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Tower route regretted adding that the service is as poor as other local buses charging much less fare.

The launch of this bus service was very warmly welcome by a large number of commuters of this very busy route, especially by those who travel daily to the city.

Simultaneously, many people from the main city shuttling to Export Processing Zone , Landhi Industrial area , Pakistan Machine Tools Factory (PMTF) , National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Port Qasim and affiliated industries, Pakistan Steel Mills and Razzaqabad Police Training Centre took this service as a relief for them.

During the very initial days, on receiving information and confirming it from more than a dozen conductors and drivers that these CNG buses were handed over to a private businessman, a Reporter contacted the Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Sindh who very boldly denied the deal.

When an opinion was sought from the personnel deputed by the transporter at the CNG Green buses terminal at Gulshan-e-Hadeed , they declined to comment on charging higher fares.

Another negative development is , the conductors of the Muslim Coach buses , operating on the same route , have started demanding Rs 30 from a passenger travelling to the main city areas arguing " what is good with CNG Green buses, you pay up to Rs 40 for ."

The people also feared that after minting money , the transporter would abandon the CNG Green buses when these would need repair and overhauling, or on any reaction from the commuters for all the above violations and excesses.

The people demanded that Sindh Government should take over the CNG Green bus service catering for a large population especially on the outskirts of the city, and ensure a cheap and quality transport facility operated by educated drivers and conductors. This would also provide jobs to hundreds of people in an organized and secure way.