KARACHI: Riding the public bus in Karachi is not for the weak-willed. Getting on the bus is a challenge in itself but an even bigger one is navigating through the sea of bodies often packed like sardines inside the bus with no seat in sight. Equaly challenging is to keep your balance while the bus zigzags through traffic and over rickety roads peppered with potholes.

While the provincial government has time and again promised the introduction of new, safer buses - the Green Line has started running in Karachi while the Sindh government recently did a test run of an electric bus a day earlier - most citizens remain at the mercy of privately-owned buses that ply key routes in the city.

Most of these remain substandard, with lack of regulation of the public transport sector resulting in problems for the millions of commuters of the metropolis.

Karachi Transport Ittehad President Irshad Bukhari blames unsatisfactory return on investment due to low fares one of the primary reasons for the lack of upkeep of buses.

He says that alternatives like three-wheelers (rickshaws and Qingqi) have also reduced demand for buses, which in turn restrains owners from upgrading their fleet.

A large number of users have switched to ride-hailing services, opting for the relatively inexpensive motorcycle option from their menu. Motorocycles are also popular among commuters as it is unlikely to get stuck in traffic like bigger vehicles.

However, the majority of commuters remain reliant on public uses. Most of them are openly critical of the local government for allowing these buses to operate.

There have been calls for banning buses that are substandard with the Sindh government urged to overhaul the transport system.