SHC tells secretary to find solution acceptable to inter-city transport stakeholders

The Sindh High Court has directed the transport secretary to look into the matter with regard to the operation of intercity public transport in consultation with the stakeholders afresh, keeping in view of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the livelihoods of public transport operators, and to find solution which was acceptable to all the parties concerned.

The direction came on a petition for the resumption of the operation of public transport, including intercity buses. The counsel for transporters submitted that they might be allowed to use any of four terminals, which are situated on the National Highway instead of the Karachi bus terminal, as according to them the Karachi bus terminal was the smallest and costlier. They said that the petitioners may be allowed to use their own bus terminal in compliance with the SOPs issued by the government in their respective areas.

The provincial law officer undertook before the court that he would arrange a meeting of bus operators with the transport authorities within 10 days.

A division bench headed by Justice Omar Sial directed the secretary to look into the matter with regard to the operation of intercity public transport with consultation of the stakeholders afresh, keeping in view of the coronavirus pandemic and the livelihoods of the public transport operators, and come up with a solution which was acceptable to all parties concerned.

The court directed the secretary to submit compliance report by June 29

The court had earlier been informed that the transport and mass transit department had developed standard operating procedures to resume public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic; however the SOPs had been amicably developed for the operation of public transport services from designated stands/terminals.

The secretary had submitted that the department had conducted a meeting with the stakeholders and SOPs had been formed to resume public transport service from the designated bus stands and terminals. He had further submitted that measures were being taken to protect the precious lives of commuters as well as of crew during the pandemic. He had said that the SOPs hd been developed for the resumption of transport services only from designated and notified stands/terminals.

According to the SOPs, Superhighway-bound vehicles take passengers from the Karachi bus terminal at Sohrab Goth to Hyderabad-Sukkur-Larkana-Sanghar-Shaheed Benazirabad and vice versa, while National Highway link road-bound vehicles take passengers from the KMC Terminal Korangi to Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas-Thatta-Badin.

He had submitted that all the measures pertaining to restrictions on public transport were taken in the larger public interest and safety as it was a duty of the government to protect the life and liberty of the citizens. He said that all efforts had been considered for the restoration of public transport services with protective measures.