Transporters hold KMC staff hostage at Yousuf Goth bus terminal

KARACHI: Transporters held Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) staff hostage at Yousuf Goth bus terminal, as the protest by the transporters intensified.

Transporters’ unions have staged a protest against the closure of the bus terminal after the Sindh government assured them that the services would soon be restored.

The Project Director (PD) of the bus terminal said that the bus terminal was closed due to the ban on buses from Karachi to other cities due to coronavirus lockdown. Therefore, the enraged transporters forcibly entered the bus terminal premises and held the KMC employees hostage.

The PD of the bus terminal further said that the protesters also vandalized the KMC office, adding that armed men were roaming around the bus terminal premises in the presence of police. He said that they have already informed the top KMC officials in this regard.  

Earlier on June 4, the Sindh government resumed public transport with strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It was notified that only intercity transport would be resumed.

According to SOPs, transporters would not be allowed to accommodate more passengers than the seating capacity of the bus, and wearing masks would be compulsory.

Sindh Government had also allowed online transport services to resume operations as well, however, with proper guidelines in place. As per the SOPs, only two people in a car at a time would be allowed to travel.