KARACHI: The government of Sindh Tuesday allowed resumption of inter-city public transport in Karachi from Wednesday (today).
The decision in this regard was taken in a meeting between transporters and Sindh government officials in Karachi.
Later, talking to media persons, Sindh Minister for Transport Awais Qadir Shah said all transporters have been made bound to follow standard operating procedure (SOPs) in this regard and warned that in case of violation of SOPs, transport will be closed.
A monitoring and inspection team has been constituted to ensure that social distancing guidelines and SOPs are followed by transporters to stem the spread of the coronavirus, he added
“Transport will be allowed to resume within the city from Wednesday,” said Awais. He said that extra passengers will not be added to buses and other modes of transport.
Awais stated that action will be taken if it is discovered that masks and sanitizers are not present in any public transport vehicle. He added that the notification regarding the resumption of public transport will be issued on Tuesday night.
The provincial government has also allowed online transport services to resume operations as well, however, with proper guidelines in place. As per the SOPs, only two people in a car at a time will be allowed to travel, said the minister.
“One more person can be added in an emergency situation,” said the minister. He added that they will be allowed to resume operations on a seat by seat basis.
Meanwhile, President Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) Irshad Bukhari said that he was thankful to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for allowing transport services in the metropolis. – TLTP
Sindh resumes inter-city public transport today
