No public transport as Sindh govt shuts all bus terminals

The Sindh government is determined not to allow public transport to resume service in the province on the eve of Eidul Fitr as it closed all the bus terminals in all the major cities and towns, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

In this connection, the district administration, transport department and police have been directed to take strict action against those violating the government directives and monitor the situation at bus terminals.

The Sindh government has closed the bus stations in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad (previously known as Nawabshah) and other cities.

The relevant officials have ordered to cancel the route permits of those vehicles found involved in transporting the passengers and also take action against their owners.

As Sindh Transport Minister Syed Awais Qadir Shah directed the RTA (Road Transport Authority) to remain vigilant, the holidays of all the officials were also cancelled.

The minister, according to 24NewsHD TV channel, said it was a risk to operate public transport amid the coronavirus pandemic which had been spreading at an alarming rate.

Protecting the health of citizens is the top priority of Sindh government, he said, adding that the decision about allowing the public transport would be taken after Eid while keeping in mind the coronavirus situation.

The alarming rise in the coronavirus cases continued in the country as 2,193 people tested positive for the virus during the past 24 hours which also saw another 32 patients dying, meaning that Pakistan is now one of those countries where over 1,000 deaths have been recorded.

According to the figures released by National Command and Operation Centre, the overall number of patients contracting the virus has now jumped to 48,091 with the death toll reaching 1,017.

The most number of cases has been reported in Sindh where 18,964 people tested positive for the virus with 316 deaths.