KMC reduces parking fee at Zulfiqarabad terminal

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has reduced the parking fee at the Zulfiqarabad Oil Tankers Terminal to Rs400 and additional parking charges for oil tankers have been postponed for the next six months.

"The amount generated from the project will be used to improve the terminal’s infrastructure. The construction of the terminal will begin in July. The construction of the link road and other works including the construction of 1,500 shops will be completed on a priority basis,” KMC Administrator Laeeq Ahmed said as he met a delegation of officials of the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association, People's Lines Welfare Association and other organisations.

KMC Senior Director Coordination Khalid Khan, Senior Director Estate Imtiaz Abro, Director Terminal Imran Siddiqui, All Pakistan Tankers Association Chairman Mir Shams Shahwani, Vice President Rafiq Ahmed Kakar, Senior Vice Chairman Gulfraz Khan and others were present on the occasion.

The KMC administrator said that in the budget for the next financial year, several schemes had been included for the terminal. Among other facilities, the fire brigade and civil engineers would also be deployed there, he said. He requested the oil tanker owners' representative organisations to contribute in the completion of the project so that the objectives of its establishment could be achieved.

Ahmed said that before the introduction of the entry fee, about 700 tankers were parked daily in the terminal but now they had started parking tankers illegally at other places, including Shirin Jinnah Colony, in violation of the orders of the Supreme Court.

He added that oil tankers should be parked in the terminal where various facilities were being provided. "We are in touch with all the stakeholders in this regard and we are trying our best to complete all the matters as soon as possible in accordance with the court orders, and rules and regulations. The tanker parking terminal has all the facilities for oil tanker owners, drivers and other concerned persons which will also facilitate them," the administrator said.

The terminal has the capacity to park 3,200 oil tankers while its infrastructure allows 10,000 people there at a time. Of 200 acres, 150 acres have been allotted for parking and 50 for other facilities. A mosque, ablution room, canteen, rescue unit and toilets have also been constructed there.