‘Over 6,000 cars, 22,000 motorbikes registered in city every month’

The Sindh cabinet has approved an amendment in the Sindh Public Procurement Authority (SPPRA) Rule 47(3) to expedite the solicitation process of the Bus Rapid Transit Service (BRTS) Blue Line Infrastructure Component.

This was decided in a meeting held on Wednesday with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in chair. Briefing the cabinet about the city’s traffic issues, transport minister Syed Nasir Shah said there were 4.137 million vehicles registered in Karachi and currently 6,457 buses of various sizes were operating on 192 routes, against the requirement of 10,600 buses.

On this, the chief minister said it showed a shortfall of 4,143 buses. In Karachi, he added, there were 45 passengers for one bus seat, while the ratio in Mumbai was 12 persons per seat and eight persons per seat in Hong Kong. “We have to reduce this gap by providing efficient, comfortable and affordable transport facilities to the people of this megalopolis,” he said.

The transport minister said the number of contract carriages/buses is 2,715 and 80 percent buses were more than 20 years old. On this, the chief minister said it meant 5,400 vehicles were 20-year old and were not only causing commuting problems but also contributing towards the environmental problems.

The cabinet was told that 6,078 private vehicles and 22,476 motorcycles were being registered in the city every month, leading to more traffic congestion, causing more pollution, increasing traffic density and increasing vehicle operating cost.

Transport secretary Saeed Awan said the provincial government had started some Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) projects and work on the Abdul Sattar Edhi Orange Line was in progress and simultaneously the CM was keen to start Blue Line BRT project.

He said the transport and mass transit department had received an unsolicited proposal from a consortium of the EA Consulting to design, build, finance, operate and transfer of a 10.1-km long Blue Line BRT project. “There will be a 27-year concession period which includes two years of construction and 25 years of operation and maintenance.”

The cabinet discussed the project and in order to undertake the solicitation process in an expeditious manner, the cabinet approved an amendment in the SPPRA Rule 47(3) under which pre-qualification exemption has been made. Now, any firm can directly participate in the bidding process.

Anti-dowry bill not approved

The Women Development Department brought the draft of Sindh Dowry Act 2017 in the cabinet for discussion. Under the proposed law, the limit for dowry, presents and bridal gifts in connection with marriage have been fixed at Rs50,000.

The draft law says that no person shall give or take or abet the giving or taking of dowry exceeding rupees fifty thousand. No person shall demand directly or indirectly from the family or other relatives of bride any dowry.

The chief minister said the proposed law would be difficult to implement, if passed by the assembly. “We have to make such laws which could be implemented in true letter and spirit,” he said, and added that dowry or extravagance in connection with marriage was a social problem for which “we have to educate people of our society”.

The proposal was also opposed by Industries Minister Manzoor Wassan and Planning and Development Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani. The matter was referred to a committee to make it workable.

Media talk

Talking to media after the meeting, information minister Syed Nasir Shah said the matter of ex-SSP Malir Rao Anwar was not part of the agenda and, therefore, it was not discussed.

Replying to a question, Shah said the government didn’t want to close down the ‘Footpath School’ but through Sindh Education Foundation managing director Nafisa Shah, the chief minister had offered to give a school building to the open-air school’s management.

He said the chief minister was worried about the street children receiving education under the open sky on the footpath. “The chief minister has offered to give lunch to the footpath school students through the Seylani Trust, stipend/pocket money, textbooks and copies, uniform, including shoes and socks and a school building under the adopt-a-school policy,” he said.

“We appreciate the efforts of the footpath school’s management, and this is why we are offering them to be a partner with the Sindh government,” he said.