Thirty buses worth millions of dollars belonging to the People Bus Service have been decaying at the Karachi port for the previous three months, while passengers are struggling with growing fuel expenses.
These vehicles, part of the People Bus Service and imported from China with the promise of enhanced comfort, find themselves stranded due to what authorities describe as “formalities.” Caretaker Information Minister Ahmed Shah and other officials provide conflicting explanations.
Despite Shah’s assurance that the formalities are “almost done,” insiders from the National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), responsible for the bus service, reveal a series of unfulfilled weekly commitments. A high-ranking official, expressing astonishment at the unprecedented delay, emphasizes that the process of importing and releasing buses has never taken this long before.
According to an NRTC source, they receive weekly assurances that the buses will soon be released, yet none of these pledges have materialized. Moreover, a senior official expresses bewilderment at the nature of the ‘formalities’ that have left the buses stranded at the port for three months, noting that releasing imported buses has never been such a time-consuming process in the past.
“I am surprised by what has transpired this time, causing such a significant delay and depriving people of improved transportation services,” he remarked.
