20000226

Compensation process

for burnt or damaged

vehicles set in motion

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Secretary Zubair Kidwai on Friday directed Sindh Finance Department to expedite modalities for compensation to the transporters for their vehicles burnt or damaged during disturbances.

He was presiding over a meeting at his office of the provincial secretaries to review progress set in-terms-of targets for different development projects. Besides provincial secretaries, commissioner of Karachi, administrator of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, representatives of Provincial Monitoring Committee attended the meeting.

The meeting decided to give incentives to transporters willing to ply large-size buses in the city to overcome traffic problems.

The commissioner of Karachi was directed to prepare, in consultation with the secretary labour and transport and deputy inspector general, traffic and highways, recommendations, on incentives to transporters willing to ply large buses, such as deregulation of fare, allocation of prime routes and timely allocation of compensation in case of any damage to public transport.

The commissioner was also instructed to convene a meeting with the oil companies and other relevant agencies for heavy traffic movement during the night. However, it has already been decided to ply oil tankers and other related traffic during the night and off-peak hours.

The commissioner informed the meeting that three sites had already been identified in the outskirts of the city for setting up of inter-city bus terminals.

The sites are located at Hub River Road, Sohrab Goth, and National Highway. However, one at Hub River Road has been completed and made functional, while the other two are being developed.

Secretary labour and transport informed the meeting that Rs 102 million has been paid to Sindh Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) employees towards backlog salaries and retirement dues. The remaining Rs 68 million has also been released and the employees, un-paid so far, would get their dues by March 10, 2000, he added.