Daily Times

KARACHI: It seems that Sindh Minister for Transport Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Secretary Transport and Mass Transit Tuaha Farooqui are not on the same page on the issue of banning Mobile App-based taxi service Careem, it is learnt.

Moreover, in a haphazard manner, the Sindh government instead of providing better transport facilities to dwellers of the province has asked the Inspector General (IG) of Police and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to stop the Mobile Application-based car service Careem citing that they are operating ‘illegally’.

The move is said to have been taken a day after the Punjab government banned the services of Mobile-App based car services Careem, Uber and A-One.

The move of the Punjab government seems somehow justified as they have provided international standard type of public transport to its citizens, however in Sindh, decades old wide-bodied buses and three-wheeler rickshaws are available for the people of the province.

In this regard, Sindh’s transport department has asked the Inspector General (IG) Police and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to stop illegal operation of Careem cab services through internet facilitation.

“It has come to the notice that M/s Careem Cab service is operating an illegal cab service in Karachi as well as other parts of the province by using internet facilities. The facilities of such services are in contravention with the provision of Section 39 and 44 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1965 as no permission, route permit and fitness certificates have been obtained from Transport and Mass Transit Department and the government is facing huge loss of revenue”, according to a letter available with Daily Times.

“It is therefore requested to kindly direct the concerned authorities to immediately stop the illegal operation of M/s Careem Cab”, the letter stated.

According to Secretary Transport Tuaha Farooqui, dozens of letters were written to M/s Careem to comply with the legal issues, however they did not respond. The private cars need to be made commercial in order to be used as taxis.

“Owners of the cars would be required to obtain fitness certificates for the cars besides proper route permits bringing the vehicles on roads”, he added.

However, Sindh Transport and Mass Transit Minister, who is fond of media coverage, gave a different statement on electronic media that the Careem service is banned. While on the other hand, the minister was quoted as saying that the Sindh government has given a 30 days ultimatum to M/s Careem to fulfill all the legal formalities.

According to a survey conducted by Daily Times, it has been observed that people are not happy over the banning Careem car service or any other services of the kind as they have earned a reputation by providing quality service and cheap prices.

Besides, that Careem has also become a source of employment for the jobless youth in the province as thousands of jobless youths have been provided with job opportunities with good salaries.

“The Sindh government wants to keep up with the monopoly of transport mafia including same old buses, rickshaws etc”, Shehryar Ali, a frequent rider of Careem said.

“I have become habitual of Careem and we don’t want to switch back to the same rickshaws and outdated taxis who have no meters installed, plying on roads without proper maintenance and law”, Omair Mustafa, another Careem user said.