Karachi University is the largest public sector university of the country, where more than 25,000 students are studying. Most students of the university belong to middle-class families who have to pay something between Rs 16 and Rs 20 as public transport charges on a daily basis to reach the campus. They have to pay the same amount while returning home.
Students prefer university point-buses to public transport because of their limited budget. But it is very disappointing that the numbers of points provided by the university management is not adequate and condition of the points is very bad. The university has a total of 27 point-buses, of which at least 11 are out of order.
Each of the routes has only one point and point is always overloaded because of this. There are at least 56 seats in each point. However, almost double the number travel on each bus. At least six people sit on the engine hood next to the driver, mostly girls. Many students, including girls, can be seen standing right at the entrance of the bus, thus risking their lives.
I request the authorities to please pay attention to this issue seriously. They should repair the buses as soon as possible. If this is not done soon, accidents are bound to take place and students are likely to suffer. To avoid any untoward incident and to save the students from untold inconveniences, the administration should act as soon as possible.
HUMAIRA SALEEM
Karachi
