People will get better transport facilities: Nasir

F.P Report

KARACHI: First meeting of Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) was held under the chairmanship of Minister Transport , Labour and Information Syed Nasir Hussain Shah who is also chairman of the authority, at 5th  Floor of New Sindh Secretariat here today. Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhter, Mayor Sukkur Arslan Shaikh, Secretary Transport Saeed Ahmed Awan, DG Mass Transit M. Athar, Chief Transport P&D abdul Nabi Thaheem, DIG Traffic Imran Yaqoob Minhas and other officials and members ofSMTA were also attended the meeting.

Addressing the Board meeting the Minister Transport Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that SMTA has been established for the provision of Modern Transport System to the people of Sindh including the commuters of Karachi to further promote the quality and modern transport system so that people would get environment friendly buses and the rapid transport system. He further said that under the project Rapid Transport System, BRT and MRT projects would be run in the city under which Green, Orange, Red, Blue, Yellow Lines as well as revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) will also be seen in the practical way.

The Authority will revive the old bus depots to provide maximum transport facilities. He said that the present Government is taking serious steps in the transport sector. He further said that the Authority will be responsible for planning, coordinating, constructing, developing , operating, maintaining, monitoring and regulating mass transit system in the province of Sindh and carrying all ancillary functions thereto for providing safe, efficient, comfortable, affordable, sustainable and reliable forms of mass transit system and to make provision for matters connected there with or ancillary thereto also the plan 2030, revival of KCR, functioning of 2 MRTs and 6 BRTs lines will also be run.

Director General Mass Transit M. Athar and Qassim Dad briefed the Board meeting through detailed presentation. Five different Committees technical, Finance & Business Procurement, Human Resources & legal and Risk Management & Environment were also formed with the heads of mayor Karachi, Sukkur and Hyderabad respectively to run the affairs and regulate the operations of the Authority.

Also to hire the required staff on market basis professional sound transparently to achieve the desired result of the authority and to balance the delegation of powers accordingly.