Public transport carries less than 1% of commuters

A new mobility index says public transport represents less than 0.5% of Pakistan’s transport mix, renewing calls for a shift from private vehicles towards buses. The BusCaro and Pakistan & Counting index found that the average cost of travelling one kilometre across eight transport modes fell 7.9% from May to September, from Rs10.48 to Rs9.65. Privately owned motorcycles, cars and rickshaws make up 98.7% of the index’s vehicle-based weighting.

The report also recorded a 77% rise in public transport costs per seat-kilometre, from Rs1.22 to Rs2.16, after fares were restored on Punjab’s Metro Bus, Bus Rapid Transit and Orange Line services. By contrast, fuel-only costs for private motorcycles, cars and rickshaws declined 7.5% over the same period. Auto expert Mashood Ali Khan called for a national plan to expand bus services and develop local electric-bus manufacturing, noting that Pakistan has around 2,000 buses while annual demand could reach 18,000 to 20,000.