Public Transport in Pakistan: A Critical Overview

Urban transport problems in Pakistan are managed by building larger and better roads. By contrast, the principles of sustainable transport encourage using lowcost public transport that could perform well in mixed land use and high density Pakistani cities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical overview of public transport policy in Pakistan from the British India period through to recent years. This overview highlights the core problem of the continuing failure of Pakistani cities to develop and manage their public transport systems in such a way as to provide a high level of mobility, equity, and environmental sustainability. The paper identifies several factors, including the importance of governance, capacity building, and urban planning in providing adequate, efficient, and effective public transport in Pakistan. Introduction This paper highlights the core problem of the continuing failure of Pakistani cities to develop and manage their public transport systems in such a way as to provide a high level of mobility, equity, and environmental sustainability. For at least 60 years, public transport policy makers have formulated many different policies for public transport development in Pakistan. These policies make little sense in the presence of an extensive suburban railways infrastructure and high density mixed land use in urban areas. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2009 54 The purpose of this paper is to provide an historical overview of public transport policy in Pakistan from the British India period through to recent years, as viewed through the public transport planning literature. This paper outlines the discussion of public transport planning in Pakistan by (1) reviewing current literature and data, (2) reviewing the history of public transport planning and policy, and (3) listing several factors overlooked in the development of public transport in Pakistan. The data presented have been collected mainly through policy documents and published scholarly articles. The paper concludes with discussion on the importance of governance, capacity building, and urban planning in providing adequate, efficient, and effective public transport in Pakistan. Public Transportation Planning and Policy— Literature Review The significance of public transport for urban mobility varies in South Asian cities. Traditionally, South Asian cities are characterized by high population and employment density, mixed land use patterns, short trip length, and high shares of non-motorized transport (Thomson 1977; Tiwari 2002; Imran and Low 2003; Badami 2005; Singh 2005; Imran 2006; Haider and Badami 2007; Imran and Low 2007). However, these characteristics have been changing by spatial structure that consists of mediumto low-density housing schemes built at the edge of the city. Usually, these housing schemes are designed for the middleto high-income groups and are accessible only by public transport and private vehicles, either cars or motorcycles. Therefore, the share of public transport and private vehicles trips is growing at the cost of non-motorized trips in South Asian cities. Table 1 shows the percentage of total trips made on different modes of transport in Indian and Pakistani cities. The data show a large share of public transport trips in Indian cities as compared to trips made by private vehicles. On the other hand, shares of private vehicles trips are higher in Pakistani cities compared to public transport trips. One reason for the differences in Indian and Pakistani cities is the services of rail-based public transport in Mumbai and Kolkata and the recent opening and ongoing expansion of the Delhi metro. In contrast, Pakistani cities are served by busor wagon (minibus)-based public transport, which provides a very low level of service and comfort (see photos). In fact, Pakistani cities entered the 20th century with an urban tram system and suburban railway system. One hundred years later, these systems were either shut down or nearly shut down. Although a large number of non-motorized trips still exist in Lahore and Karachi