Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Board to review public transport services, traffic management and measures aimed at improving commuting facilities across the city.
Officials said the meeting, held at the Commissioner’s Office, was attended by Transport Secretary Asad Zamin, DIG Traffic Syed Pir Muhammad Shah, all Traffic SSPs, Assistant Commissioner (Headquarters) Iqra Jannat, the RTA Secretary, the Director of the Traffic Engineering Bureau and other senior officials.
During the meeting, participants took several key decisions to rationalise the existing bus route policy with the objective of improving public transport and ensuring better accessibility for commuters. The meeting also reviewed the proposed Karachi Mobility Project, prepared by the Sindh Transport Department, to strengthen the city’s transport network.
Naqvi directed the RTA to align the issuance of bus route permits with the transportation needs of citizens. He stressed that priority should be given to underserved areas, particularly suburban localities where residents continue to face difficulties in accessing public transport.
The meeting also agreed to discourage the introduction of unnecessarily long-distance bus routes within the city’s transport system to improve operational efficiency and passenger convenience.
Officials reviewed measures to ease traffic congestion and were informed that work on the computerisation of traffic signals was progressing. Five major intersections had been selected for the project. Work had already commenced at the PIDC, Sindh Club (Metropole Hotel) and Avari Towers intersections, while computerisation at the Teen Talwar and Boat Basin traffic signals would begin shortly.
A senior official of the Commissioner’s Office, Ghouse Bux Abbasi, informed the meeting that 12 of Karachi’s 16 previously non-functional traffic signals had been restored, while work on the remaining four signals was under way.
The meeting also discussed complaints regarding excessive fares charged by rickshaw drivers. To address the issue, the RTA decided to introduce digital fare meters in rickshaws. Under the new system, fares would be calculated according to the distance travelled, allowing passengers to view the exact fare on the digital meter and helping eliminate complaints of overcharging.
