In a puzzling delay, 30 buses imported by the Sindh government from China have languished at the Karachi port for nearly three months, awaiting approval from the caretaker administration to join the Peoples Bus Service fleet on city roads.
Despite their arrival in September, these buses, procured by the PPP Sindh government, remain immobilized at the port, a situation decried by former Sindh transport minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on social media. Urging the caretaker government to intervene, Memon emphasized the need for these buses, purchased to enhance public transport with affordable fares, to hit the roads promptly.
Despite Memon’s plea and the passage of almost a fortnight, the situation remains unchanged. Caretaker Information Minister Ahmed Shah, however, attributes the delay to procedural formalities that are allegedly near completion. Shah reassures the public that the necessary funds have been transferred to the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), the operator of the Peoples Bus Service.
Since its launch in June 2022, the Peoples Bus Service has expanded its reach in Karachi and ventured into Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Larkana earlier this year. The newly imported buses were intended to augment the Karachi routes and potentially serve other cities in Sindh.
Sources within the NRTC express uncertainty about the fate of the buses, describing them as a new fleet left “gathering dust” at the port. Despite weekly assurances about the imminent release of the buses, the reality has yet to align with these promises.
The prolonged delay has raised eyebrows among officials familiar with import procedures, questioning the nature of formalities that have stalled the process for almost three months. The unexplained delay not only undermines the efficiency of public transport services but also raises concerns about the responsible utilization of public funds for the procurement of these buses.
