Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Jolie · January 23, 2015, 12:12pm

Reptilian Waderas will blame MQM the ‘fake and wannabee sons of soils’, and MQM will blame Waderas. If both options fall flat, they’ll both order their followers to lay all the blame on evil Punjabis sitting in Punjab or Pakhtoon settlers. Everyone will forget about criminal mismanagement, total lack of responsibility and gross corruption of those who had been in government for number of years, but will conveniently go back to playing ethic politics against the imaginary evil outsiders and outside forces. (Army and ISI both get covered into those lame tags).

The report, titled ‘Karachi: the transport crisis’, has been compiled by renowned city planner and architect Arif Hasan with Mansoor Raza and staff at the Urban Resource Centre. It is being released to the public on Friday.

The 32-page report, which draws on almost 200 interviews with government officials, transporters’ representatives and members of the public, paints a bleak picture of the current scene, with transporters crippled by high fuel costs and limited government support, and the public caught between rising prices and a simply inadequate number of available options.

Karachi, a city of an estimated 22 million people, currently has roughly 9,527 operational minibuses, as compared to the 22,313 it had in 2011, according to the report. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) says an additional 8,676 large buses are required to fill the shortfall.

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Figure-1

Moreover, of the city’s 329 official bus routes, only 111 are currently being operated, while the others have been abandoned because “they are not considered lucrative by the transporters”.
Irshad Bukhari, the president of the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI), says that transporters are being forced to either move to different cities or quit the business altogether.
“[Karachi’s bus owners are leaving the business] because there is no income, and the stress is very high, with maintenance costs, and with no protection from the government, no regulations, and no fuel available,” he told this reporter.

Those operating buses are facing pressures from several simultaneous directions, the report explains, with bus operators in a position where they have to pay route owners, money lenders, police officers on their route, as well as rising fuel costs.

Moreover, those seeking to enter the market are forced to go through money lenders, the report says, as regular banks do not offer loans to them for fear of default.
Mr Hasan contends that the private sector, while not perfect in meeting the needs of consumers — particularly in terms of road safety, customer service and providing exhaustive route coverage — does still operate in a more effective manner than it is assumed to.

“It is generally considered that the informally financed transport sector in Karachi is anarchic and disorganised,” the report says. “However, the drivers have a strict timetable and regulations for it to be implemented, fixed locations for parking their vehicles, and an organised regime which determines the relationship between the different actors in the transport drama and with the police.”
The main contention of the report appears to be that the private sector has been left entirely on its own, operating in a largely unregulated and unmanaged environment, with very little government oversight or support.

A history of failure

The lack of support, the report explains, appears to be the result of a long and storied series of debacles every time the government has attempted to meet Karachi’s growing public transport needs.
Starting with the Karachi Improvement Trust (KIT) in 1950, Mr Hasan provides a detailed history of nine successive government-sponsored bus initiatives in the public transport sector, all of which eventually collapsed due to mismanagement, inefficiency or a lack of follow-through on promises made to private partners.

While several of the initiatives were initially successful, most collapsed under financial strain, the report says. These failures include, but are not limited to: the KIT (1950-57); Karachi Transport Syndicate (1957-58); Karachi Road Transport Corporation (1959-67); Sindh Road Transport Corporation (1967-77); and the Karachi Transport Corporation (1977-96).
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FIgure - 3: Karachi’s Expansion and the Circular Railway - ECIL

It was the collapse of the KTC in 1996, when it was making losses of Rs10 million a month, which caused the government to change tack.
“The most important repercussion of the failure of the KTC was the change that took place in the thinking of government and transport related professionals,” the report says. “They came to believe that only the private sector can manage transport.”

From 1996 onwards, the government has undertaken several initiatives in partnership with the private sector, including the Karachi Public Transport Society (KPTS), the Urban Transport Scheme (UTS) and the CNG bus project (2007). By 2007, the government had so badly failed in following through on promises made to private sector investors during the KPTS and UTS that it was forced to self-finance a ‘pilot project’ of 75 CNG buses as no investors were willing to join hands with them.

As of 2009, those 75 buses were also no longer on the roads, and officials say it would take a subsidy of Rs2.729 million a month to bring them back.
CNG collapse

Another major reason for the concerns of private sector investors has been the rising cost of compressed natural gas (CNG), now available only four days a week in the province.
CNG buses account for 70 per cent of all public transport in Karachi, the report says, and on days when it is not available, most of them are not found on the roads. Moreover, banning the use of CNG would necessitate the import of roughly 2.3 billion additional litres of petrol and diesel.

Transporters say the government’s focus on converting vehicles to CNG during the 2000s is a major reason for the current crisis.
“We do not have CNG, we do not have petrol, we do not have diesel but vehicles from all over the world are being inducted in the city and are being registered on CNG. You do not invite 20 guests when you have food only for five,” Mehmood Afridi, the president of the Muslim Minibus and Coach Owners’ Association, is quoted as saying in the report.
The gap between demand and supply in the transport market is being met in one of several ways. Karachi has seen the introduction of about 50,000 Qingqi carriers –– a motorcycle carrying a six-seater cabin –– in recent years. There are also about 60,000 CNG rickshaws running on the city’s roads. Finally, those who can afford it have invested in motorcycles: in 1990, there were 450,000 motorcycles registered in the city, and by 2013 that number had jumped to 1.65 million.
Moreover, the lack of transport options is also altering “the form of the city”, Arif Hasan explains.
“It is becoming cheaper and more comfortable for the poor to rent within the city’s low income settlements than to live on the periphery [due to limited transport options].”
The report recommends that the Karachi Transportation Improvement Project (2010), a proposal prepared with support from the Japanese government, should be implemented, with particular care paid to meeting costs through subsidies and progressive taxes on luxury car owners.
The KTIP proposal would see the Karachi Circular Railway revived, with additional spurs added, catering to 700,000 people daily. It would also see the construction of six Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, one of which (BRT-2) is already under way.
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Figure-4

Finally, the report says that “institutional issues” of various government transport departments having no co-ordination must also be addressed to implement a unified city-wide transport plan.
Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015
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Doppleganger · January 23, 2015, 4:49pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

The NSC was shut down and the buses are run privately now. As far as KCR, we will all be dead and it won't still be constructed.

I don't know why, especially for big cities like karachi, there is so much control from provincial government. It doesn't help matters that the citizens of karachi don't vote in for the interior sindh party and probably never will, so there is no incentive for PPP to develop karachi. They just use it to dump jiyahals for quota jobs and then fleece karachi through land mafia. For MQM, I'd leave it to their supporters, if they have any (re: Saleem :D ), to explain altaf and mqm instead of getting a migraine myself.

SID_NY · January 23, 2015, 4:58pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Last I checked Karachi's public transport system had already collapsed.. years back!

Mass transit system is really a dream ..and unfortunately will remain a dream. This amazing city deserves much better happenings but alas..

Jolie · January 23, 2015, 5:01pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

This is exactly the reason why more provinces should be created in Sindh, but I might as well just ask for a Civil War instead.

All major cities in Pakistan should have their own city governments and mayor.

kaka_in_usa · January 23, 2015, 5:09pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

^^ city govt and mayors dont matter in citywide public transportation infrastructure.

City ka pyara nazim ( mustafa kamal) tried but even he couldnt get it done.

Public transportation infra are really really expensive and no city can afford it. You need cash from central govt if you need such a project. I mean raising $3-5 billion is no joke for a city anywhere in the world.

Karachi is worlds largest city without a mass transit system. It needs to be changed but i think for now lahore will take priority.

PS. My city is tenth in size of karachi but has Metro and BRTS both. City couldnt afford either if central govt didnt provide with funds and gurantees to the creditors.

Decent_6Chora · January 23, 2015, 5:09pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Mayor of Karachi, with all the authority and budget might out-resource Sindh Govt and thats what they do not like. Every single metropolitans city in the world that I know of has a local govt and mayor with absolute power and authority but Pakistani metropolitan are controlled by provincial govt and sometimes by federal govt.

Karachi was not heaven in mayor-ship of Naimat-Ullah advocate and Mustufa Kamal but irrespective of their political affiliations, Karachi was much better than it is right now with Govt appointed "administrator"

Zafra · January 23, 2015, 5:26pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

You mean Western metropolitan city right? Because Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc don't have Mayors. Neither does Singapore. As do many of the African and Asian major cities.

Decent_6Chora · January 23, 2015, 5:32pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Yeah, I meant most of the democratic countries which excludes almost all middle eastern countries

Doppleganger · January 23, 2015, 7:00pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Singapore is a city state. Dubai, sharjah, abu dhabi are fiefdoms run by sheikhs.

I don't know why we want to include pakistan somehow in that category.

Mumbai ?

Doppleganger · January 23, 2015, 7:01pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Even pyara imran came out against sindh division, so do you expect PPP to let go of their cash cow?

I know that it will hurt but what has sindh going for it except karachi and hyderabad (perhaps? since that city is in gutter as well). I know muqa will come and say sindh is mineral rich, but you need the will and education to mine that out which isn't happening in current rotten interior sindh.

Jolie · January 23, 2015, 8:38pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Yes, Imran and his ever so confusing sense of political correctress over this issue was embarrassing to say the least. Typical "err yes more provinces are needed, but let's not focus on Sindh now as the situation is complicated, and it will turn into an ethnic bloodshed so let's start with another province". Neither here nor there stance served no purpose.

But it has to be said, if more provinces are to be created from Sindh then new and fresh local leadership must emerge from Karachi. MQM has lost the battle along with will and credibility. The party due to its profound criminality and obvious footprints is too easy to be blackmailed and intimidated. They are in no position to launch a worthy campaign for separate province even though a lot has changed in Pakistan since they first started.

I agree with your last point. Africa is also mineral rich, and so is Afghanistan, and we all know the unfortunate state of those places. You need will and skills to take advantage of your region's resources, and a proper system to distribute the wealth all the way to the bottom. If you can't then wait for the 'evil outsiders' to come in, figure out and 'loot' your wealth.

SID_NY · January 23, 2015, 8:55pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

I believe PTI had a 'hit & trial' when it was announcing its policy about provinces. When its leadership camped in Larkana they decided to win the furor of locals by announcing what they would luv to hear. And it happened. But i'm sure they'd take it back once come into power especially if they get some seats from rural Sindh.

Sachaydino · January 23, 2015, 9:07pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

If that is what you think rest assure PTI will never win a single seat from rural areas. PTI's Sindh urban popularity has eroded a lot after massacre of 140 school children, for which his province has to share major responsibility. And after one week of this tragedy, IK married with Reham Khan rani, to live happily ever after. ....for the time being.

Super permanent lotay and t....pickers have really destroyed his party.

Sachaydino · January 23, 2015, 9:12pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Rest assure this is not going to happen in your life time and after that too. Apne pir murshid ka beyan parh kar kuch sharam aaee. agar nahin aaee to phir “ja apni hasraton pe aansoo baha ke so ja”
PTI Larkana rally: I will not allow the division of Sindh, says Imran Khan

LARKANA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday promised the people of Sindh that he would not allow the division of the province if he came into power, Express News reported.

Jolie · January 23, 2015, 10:22pm

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Awww. I reckon he needs to repeat the same thing once or twice more and he will definitely become your pir murshid. Right? I guess these kinda of slogans and rhetoric really sell well in Sindh. If those vultures can keep getting the votes over this issue then let Imran try his luck with the same stupidity too. After all he was in Larkana, and the next big option was to either glorify Bhutto graves or put Urdu language or ‘Pubjabi establishment’ on the blast. So you should certainly congratulate him for playing safe and smart.

But truth to be told, this whole division of Sindh is basically a cry to save Karachi. PPP and the scummy nationalists can keep their rural Sindh, but Karachi is too big and important of a City to collapse.

I definitely see demand for more provinces gaining momentum in within next 10 years, I imagine a lot of it depends whenever Karachiites decide to regroup and rise.

Sachaydino · January 23, 2015, 11:34pm

Jolie:

Awww. I reckon he needs to repeat the same thing once or twice more and he will definitely become your pir murshid. Right? I guess these kinda of slogans and rhetoric really sell well in Sindh. If those vultures can keep getting the votes over this issue then let Imran try his luck with the same stupidity too. After all he was in Larkana, and the next big option was to either glorify Bhutto graves or put Urdu language or 'Pubjabi establishment' on the blast. So you should certainly congratulate him for playing safe and smart.

But truth to be told, this whole division of Sindh is basically a cry to save Karachi. PPP and the scummy nationalists can keep their rural Sindh, but Karachi is too big and important of a City to collapse.

I definitely see demand for more provinces gaining momentum in within next 10 years, I imagine a lot of it depends whenever Karachiites decide to regroup and rise.

You have no clue what you are talking about. All Sindhis whether they are in PPP or in opposition, will prefer to separate from Pakistan rather than making more divisions in Sindh. Sindh kisi ke na baap ki jaagir hay na koi Sindh Pakistan bananay ke baad apnay jahez main laya tha. Your leader has very well understood this. You should also get this downloaded into your brain. Sooner the better. People like you are great hindrance to IK to get hold of Sindh interior.

kaka_in_usa · January 24, 2015, 6:59am

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Nah, Jaipur :)

jasos · January 24, 2015, 7:59am

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

Pakistan bhi kissi k baap key jageer nahin keh jis ka dil chaha munh uthaya aor tor dia :cobra:

waisey punjab ko kafi hison mein bantney key bat karnay walay sindh key taqseem per dhuwan keon chorney lagtey hein

kakaballi · January 24, 2015, 9:11am

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

jaisay jamhooriyat ka rona ronay walay apni party ki chairmanship ka faisla waseeyat ki bunyad pe kartay hain.

Androon sindh se kitni loot maar mazeed kar sakain gey ? karachi tau mustaqil rozgar ka zariya hai haram khoron ke liye .

jasos · January 24, 2015, 9:33am

Re: Karachi’s public transport on the verge of collapse: report

saheeh kaha :cobra: