Viable metro

This refers to the letter, ‘Wrong comparison’ (June 17) by M Sadiq Swati. I feel honoured that the writer, who is a highly renowned transportation specialist, commented on my letter ‘Metro subsidy’. In his letter, the writer states: “A system designed for such heavy, unidirectional traffic of short duration runs far below its capacity the rest of the time. Hence, it is not profitable. As far as its capital cost is considered it is always considered ‘sunk investment’, not to be recovered.”
I will not disagree with what the writer has said. However, indirectly my point is that rather than sinking Rs44 billion for one metro-bus project in one city it would have been better if this amount was divided into four or five portions so that as many cities could have benefited. The other point that I was making was that if the metro-bus project is managed efficiently and honestly it would continue to provide service. As the writer well knows, GTS was a good bus service of its time. Whether due to mismanagement, corruption or unions, it had to be closed as it was no more financially viable. What if the next government is not a PML-N government and they decide that the metro-bus project has to be shut down as the losses are too great?
Syed Hussein El-Edroos
Islamabad