LARKANA:Provincial Transport Minister Syed Awais Qadir Shah, accompanied by Jamil Soomro, political secretary to PPP Chairman, inaugurated Peoples Bus Service (PBS) Monday.
It was earlier scheduled to be inaugurated by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari today but due to issuance of production orders of his father Asif Zardari and surfacing of Kashmir issue, he left Naundero for Islamabad. Bilawal had also called for summoning joint session of the parliament to discuss prevailing situation and Indian aggression in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
It must be mentioned here that Bilawal and his sister Aseefa were not allowed to meet Zardari who is NAB custody in mega money laundering cases.
Awais Shah while addressing newsmen said that Peoples Bus Service is a pilot project for Larkana. He said since last four months, survey was completed in Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Hyderabad out of which Larkana was selected to launch the service at the very outset. He claimed that not a single rupee of Sindh government had been spent for this service, adding only private transport owners would be facilitated and they would provide bus service in return charging hire fixed by the government.
He said for complaints toll free number service is also being launched. He said no route permit of any private transporter would be cancelled. Shah said initially, 18 buses had been launched at the very outset which would be increased keeping in view the response of the passengers. He said those found involved in overcharging would be taken to task as per law. He said PBS would be better than old SRTC. Transport Secretary Ghulam Abbas Detho and other relevant officers were also present on the occasion.
It must be mentioned here that private transport owners had protested few days back in Larkana against launching of this bus service, alleging that hundreds of poor people would be rendered unemployed. They had also claimed that old buses from Punjab have been brought here for the show to please top party leaders.