Public transport

The federal government and provincial governments have allowed various business communities to open their business, with safety measures. These include construction and its related industries. It has been observed that several employers are calling their employees to rejoin office/factory. Similarly, some employers have retrenched the services of a number of employees. The government has categorically stated that public transport services shall not be working at all and employers will have to arrange conveyance for employees. This can be done by large-scale public and private limited companies but small and medium enterprises would not be able to manage such expenses. It is significant to note that a large number of citizens don’t have their own vehicles (motorbikes, cars) and use public transport to get to work.

It is, therefore requested all concerned authorities to allow public transport services only for office hours and with the safety measures as per the required parameters defined by the WHO. The restriction on number of passengers should strictly be followed and social distance must be complied with. A number of school vans can be utilized and the government may provide a little subsidy and the drivers could get income for their spouses and children. Online transport services may please be allowed but with restrictions on number of passengers.

Nisar Ahmed

Karachi