Karachi bus owners announce indefinite strike

Karachi bus owners have announced an indefinite strike from 18 June in protest against what they describe as excessive traffic challans and heavy fines imposed on public transport vehicles.

The Karachi Bus Owners Association said it had decided to suspend public transport services across the city, citing growing concerns over stringent traffic enforcement measures and escalating financial penalties.

Speaking on the issue, Farooq Ahmed, President of the Karachi Bus Owners Association, urged all bus owners to keep their vehicles off the roads from 18 June in support of the protest.

He warned that the strike would continue until the authorities address the association’s concerns and accept its demands.

The planned suspension of services is expected to affect thousands of daily commuters who rely on public transport for travel across the city.

Earlier in May, the traffic police in Karachi introduced new measures to penalize motorists driving on the wrong side of the road.

According to reports, DIG Traffic Pir Muhammad Shah said that the growing trend of wrong-way driving in Karachi has become a serious concern, adding that officers had now been equipped with modern gadgets to issue challans more effectively across Karachi.

He further announced that a Special Traffic Flow Unit would soon be deployed on key roads in Karachi to improve traffic discipline. According to officials, around 36 locations in Karachi have been identified where wrong-way violations are most frequent.