New shop timings
So, our smart government has come up with a new idea to preserve energy: close all the shops by sunset. I have no idea how to feel about it. While on one hand it will make a difference as far as energy consumption is concerned, but on the other hand it is totally against the culture of Karachi. Imagine Park Towers, The Forum, Dollmen Mall etc closed by 8 pm. That’s when people leave their homes for shopping and all. So end of shopping for all of us. Now what about shop owners who will end up making less money because of that? It has catastrophe written all over it. Expect protests from business owners over next few weeks.
The Punjab govt has also come up with a similar idea whereas all the service stations are instructed to operate only on weekends to preserve water for the next three months. Guess we really can use an extra “DAM” and fast.
Why doesnt the Govt talk about PRODUCING more enery? How about setting up 5~7 Nuclear plants outside Karachi and Lahore to produce energy. Not only will it provide energy but its development will get a chance to the local universities to participate in Nuclear fields and produce nuclear engineers.
But who has the money? TAKE A LOAN!!!!
Not a Bad Idea, definitely its gonna save energy so atleast ppl can have energy to consume in night time.
these things happens when you dont have enough resourses to handle the city, so lets bear with it and do all your shopping in day light :) or do it on weekend.
atleast ppl can sleep in night without disruption of electricity, and if shopowners are gonna cry so let them cry.
How about opening the shops at 9 am sharp?
The shopping markets here open at 11/12. I think that’s kind of lazy. If they open early, its equally good. I dont think the government can force them to close early :/ .. that’s stupid. But I think they should voluntarily open the shops at 9 am.
I dont think the government can force them to close early :/ ..
but govt can ask KESC to increase timings of loadshedings of all markets :d
Atleast all husbands will be damn happy since they will be able to enjoy a good sleep. :>
this is the dumbest idea i have ever come across. i am a working woman and i cannot go in the morning to do my shopping. I cannot leave staright from the office because as Maghrib is at 7:15 / 30 I have to pray and then leave for any place that I want to go too. Karachi wakes up after 8. They can do this in ISB and other small cities but not Karachi. What about weekends, does the Govt want us to go to bed at 8:30. I don’t know who’s the genius giving them such brilliant ideas. I think his idea bulb is not on, because of the load shedding.
It won’t work at all. Due to scorching heat, people normally shop after sun set and if the shops are closed at that time, when they they can shop? and the shopkeepers are doomed as well.
Why not close all those signboards which are generating revenue that is not coming back to public, why not clamp the kundas down?
How about forcing ppl not to use A/C?
This is a ridicules idea, and they know it can’t be implemented and when all the shops will fail to close business at 7:00 they will just blame it on the shop keepers. This can’t be a permanent solution, power needs of this city are increasing every day, they have to come up with a way to produce more electricity. News is that they are thinking about installing windmills along the sea, I hope it is true .
The first thing they should be doing is to have an extensive drive against the kundas. every tom dick and harry has a split airconditioner working 24/7. overload nahi hoga system to aur kia hoga? and majority of the shops also work on the kunda system. its better to find the root cause than to take measures like these which wont raise the value of KESC for anyone.
Expect protests from business owners over next few weeks.
Another strike.yay!!!!!!!!!
@Adnan, without A/Cs?? What the…..
@THE BRILLIANT IDEA: This won’t work at all. Imagine all shops closed? Nah; impossible!!!
Fix the kunda thing and turn off the lights on those huge bill boards; guess this way you can save some electricity…. Karachi already is in so many troubles. Don’t add more..
I know it is stupid to compare cities but most shops (excluding general stores and places to eat, but including all big shoping markets, malls etc) in London close at 6 in the evening during the weekdays and I think at about 7 or 8 on weekends. So its not entirely unrealistic it will just take a lot of getting used to.
Zain yeah why not?Buy a pair of lungi and banyans and get used to of it.
For all those pakis who are indolent and lethargic, this is a wake up call. the entire world operates normally. shops / offices / businesses open at 9am and close at 7pm max. We need to revamp our lifestyle and be pragmatic. Banks exploit their employees by making them work late hours. STANDARD CHARTERED BANK where i have personally worked goes beyond all of this. There is absolutely no concept of balancing work life and family life. Where on earth do shops open at 12 noon? only in PAKISTAn or next door India….
pppl wake up
This is a horrible idea, let’s slow down the economy by forcing markets to shut down, regardless I don’t understand how they will be able to enforce this rule.
Jahanzeb, gas stations, grocery stores and shopping malls are commonly open past 10PM in America, some grocery stores such as wal-mart are open 24Hrs a day.
The idea is superb but the 8PM time is ridiculous. I witnessed this in India 12AM and everything is forced to shutdown.
8 PM is implentable if we enforce this laws on selected markets, like some service providing industries which do small scale manufacturing.
Cutting down the exhorbitantly higher number of unnecesasry bulbds and tubelights could also lead to energy savings.
Daylight savings should be implemented and 9-6,7 timings should be followed strictly regardless of nature of work. We need to change our sleepy lifestyles.
hi all
i have no idea y u ppl r complaining abt the change not only will it save energy but also clear all the mess from the roads plus the these lazy ass shop keepers wud open their shops earlier instead of 11 or 12. here in usa malls close at 9 so do ur shopping b4 that. i simply cant understand y u ppl r complaining
hahaaaaaa this is so funny…i being a karachite myself know fellow karachittes too well. we are inherently nocturnal. and this culture has actully been fostered by the schorching afternoon heat. ever tried shopping at gulf/uzma at 3 pm????? BRING 02 CYLINDER!!! ever tried getting into a car parked for 4 hours in 40 degreesC ??
but this is another oppurtunity just to laugh at ourselves and our govnt. this will never work!tho on a more serious note…where is pakistan headed??? this loooks so so so bad…strikes, power cuts, energy concerns…?
i agree… this is the correct way..there is no need to complain …europe and usa operate at 9.00 am to 9.00 pm so why cant we…just because we are lazyy..its abt time we get in sync with the civilized world.
dont complain abt heat..if they can do this in arizona then it can even be done in karachi.
but but but…. what are we supposed to do at night??
on-line shopping is a better option…have you ever heard of e-bay….the latest trend in shopping where were you ppl for the past three years….?
http://www.tariqroadsale.com
You know in holland, shops close at 6pm. Grocery shops close at 8:30. People go home, eat dinner, watch football, spend time with their family and sleep.
People on our side torture themselves for a few more notes and end up overworking their behinds until 11. No wonder everyone is grumpy in the market.
but but but…. what are we supposed to do at night??
ye kia beytuka sawal hay?Spend time with family members what else?have fun with friends.You can do lots of constructive things like make another FF extension?
I know many karachiites pondy baz will suffer now.
Another idea could be that the market timings differs with the office timings i.e. If Saturdays and Sundays are off for offices , all markets should be ON. Moreover, shops could remain open until sunset throughout the week…
I think a good idea would be to Leave it like normal on weekends and weekdays maybe have it 9am to 6-7pm that way everyone is happy.IMO
Zainab.Karachiites will get used to of it and as others said it was implemented in other countries with same conditions then i think it could work here as well.
I’ve long been arguing for some solar energy plants, but no one listens.
yes its very strange that why govt dont think about it.Maybe they dont wana think about it?
Sheysrebellion – you are right that gas stations and grocery stores are open 24hrs, but the concept of a 24hr grocery is more practical in the west and more of social profusion in pakistan. Majority of the respondents to this blog have responded postively which doesnt require any further elaboration. We as a nation have to value time. Work wise, spend wise, live wise. Ostentation has scummbed us all, unfortunately…
Jahanzeb
how about getting all the big bad MNCs to shut off their lights and ACs for an hour or so during the day ???????
regardless of the real political situation, last time i chkecd i was living in a democratic country (read intended), not whr the govt, or a private organization that i pay exhorbiantly every month to shop when they want me to . i ll shop when its convienient, and its convienient when the sun isnt up.
on the note k in the west shops open at 9 in the morn and close at 6-7-9 wenever.
if i wanted that i d live in the west. wouldnt i.
its jus one of the things we use to identify karachi with.
aint saying its a quality. jus the flaw in her we love.
we do love lights in the night dont we?
Is there any possibility to alot some certain amount of electricity to each home and shop?What i mean to say that you set a quota of certain amount of WATT to each unit and if any one tries to grab more(by turning ACs on),the connection gets tripped.In this way i think we could save enough energy.Some electrical engineer can shed more light upon it.