A love affair with the roads of Karachi

By Asma Farooq, Mehma Khan, Murtaza Malik, Muzhira Amin & Sarwat Ahmed

Karachi: It is a hot morning, the sun has finally come out after days of hide and seek with clouds. After a minutes-long episode of honking, a bus, popularly known as the ‘bees number wali gaari’ (bus number 20) comes to a halt at the Garden bus stop.

Interior of the ‘bees number waali gaari’ | Photo by Asma Farooq

The city of lights, Karachi, is popular for several reasons - the sea, the street food, the bustling markets - the list goes on. One of the things from the list is the dense bus network of the city. which consists of 5000 to 6000 buses, including long route buses that travel outside the city, as well as the ones travelling all over the city.

There are two major bus stands in Karachi - one is located near the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Bridge, and the other one is near Main Safoora Goth. Samiullah, the owner and driver of one of the buses, parks his bus at the KPT bus stand every night after 9.30 pm. “There are a total of 450 routes throughout the city, out of which 300-350 routes are active. The number of buses on every route varies. For example, from Gulshan-e-Hadeed to Airport, a total of 36 buses are active,” he says.

A 30-year-old lady named Sadaf, regularly commutes with the ‘bees number wali gaari’. Like her, many people, both young and old, find these buses a convenient source of commute for their everyday travel. The 20 number bus is one of the most popular buses in the city, having a long route that stretches from the west to the south of Karachi.

The bus although worn-out from the outside is beautifully decorated from the inside | Photo by Mehma Khan

The bus driver concentrates on the road, driving skillfully through the city’s crowded roads | Photo by Muzhira Amin

Unlike cars, the meter of a bus is smaller and is placed separately | Photo by Asma Farooq

Usual chitchats during the long rides are a routine | Photo by Asma Farooq

A view of the bus and its passengers from the rear-view mirror | Photo by Asma Farooq

The bus begins its journey from Baldia Town at 8.30am in the morning. It takes the route of Old Golimar to reach Garden, going on to Saddar and then Clifton. There are several bus stops on the way, from which people climb in and out of the bus. After late hours of the afternoon, the bus takes a route back to the western part of the city, travelling through areas like Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) and the Nai Abadi Sector.

The bus is divided into two compartments, a congested one comprising of six seats for women in the front and the rest at the back for men. The bus is crowded from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm because of people travelling to their offices and workplaces. Passengers unable to find a seat take support of the hand grip during the journey, while others climb up on to the roof of the bus, which offers a great view of the megacity.

The bus is crowded during the morning hours | Photo by Asma Farooq

Moments before getting off the bus | Photo by Asma Farooq

Due to the lengthy route of this bus, the passengers on it are diverse not only with regards to their occupations but also age. ‘Bees number wali gaari’ has room for everyone – ranging from adolescents, school kids, young adults to elderly people.

A passenger lost in her own world as life around her moves on | Photo by Asma Farooq

Long routes give passengers a lot of time to daydream, think and observe | Photo by Asma Farooq

After every few minutes, people get on and off the bus | Photo by Asma Farooq

Fares of the bus depend on how far you want to travel; a trip from Garden to Clifton costs Rs20. Shumaila, a passenger on the bus, says, “I have been travelling on this bus since the last three years. The commute, although a little tedious, is cheap on the pocket as compared to a rickshaw or a taxi. It costs me just Rs60, to and from office when I’m travelling by bus.”

Apart from being easily affordable and conveniently available, Bus number 20 provides its passengers with a visual treat of the city. Passing from areas like Saddar, Empress Market, and the Merewether Clock Tower, the bus takes you on a round of some of the oldest areas in Karachi.

Even as the world behind goes blurry, Shumaila’s smile remains intact | Photo by Muzhira Amin

A boy stands throughout the commute, giving up his seat for his mother and younger siblings | Photo by Asma Farooq

A child clings to his mother through the journey | Photo by Asma Farooq

The mother makes sure the ride does not get boring for him | Photo by Asma Farooq

During the late hours of the afternoon, when the bus starts emptying, the passengers get comfortable on their seats | Photo by Asma Farooq

Company on the road is never a bad option | Photo by Asma Farooq

Some sellers get on the bus during its stays at the bus stop, selling small items | Photo by Asma Farooq

Unlike most buses, this bus is owned and driven by the same person. There is a permanent conductor of the bus, named Rizwan. “I earn Rs500-600 every day from this job. It is sufficient for me and my family. Some days there are a lot of passengers, on other days there are less. The most difficult days for us are strikes when buses do not go on the roads,” he says.

Stuffed toy vendor on the roads of Saddar | Photo by Asma Farooq

Old buildings and colorful shops are the usual views from inside the ‘bees number wali gaari' | Photo by Asma Farooq

Rizwan, the conductor, works from nine in the morning to nine at night after which he finally goes home after the last stop at Shireen Colony, Clifton | Photo by Asma Farooq

This bus, along with other buses are seen on the roads of the city from sunrise to even after sunset, every day. It is a lot more than just a transport service, it’s a love affair with the roads of Karachi.