Transportation in Pakistan:-
Transportation in Pakistan
is the movement of people and goods from one location to another. Transport is
performed by modes, such as air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and
transport|space]]. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and
operations. Transport in Pakistan is extensive and varied but still in its
developing stages and serving a population of over 170 million people.
Construction of new airports, roads, and railway is providing an employment
boost in the country. Much of Pakistan's road network (National Highways) and
railway network were built before 1947, during the British Raj. In recent
years, new national highways have been built, with the addition of motorways.
Airports and seaports have been built within the last 30 years. The current
transport minister is Humza Saeed, an ex PIA and Pakistani military pilot.
major means :-
Railway Network of Pakistan
Mass Transit
International
Road
Motorways
Air transport
Local Transport
Buses
Inter City
A Pakistani rickshaw
Taxis
Cars
Railway Network of Pakistan:-
Rail services in Pakistan are provided by the
state-run Pakistan Railways, under the supervision of the Ministry of Railways.
Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of transportation in Pakistan,
catering to the large-scale movement of people and freight. The railway network
comprises 8,163 km of which 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) (broad gauge) forms 7,718 km,
including 293 km of electrified track. 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) narrow gauge
tracks form the remaining 445 km. Passenger earnings comprise 50% of the total
revenue. During 1999–2000 this amounted to Rs. 4.8 billion.[citation needed]
Pakistan Railways carry 65 million passengers annually and daily operate 228
mail, express and passenger trains.
Mass Transit:-
The Karachi Circular Railway, which opened in the
early 1940s, is the only functioning Mass Transit System in Pakistan as of
date. In 1976, Karachi was slated to begin work on an underground metro system,
but plans have been put on hold since. The Lahore Metro is another proposal
still in planning and is scheduled to be completed by 2020.
Roads:-
National Highways, Motorways & Strategic Roads of
Pakistan.
Makran Coastal Highway enroute Gwadar
The Grand Trunk
Road towards Karian
M2:
Lahore to Islamabad[edit] National Highways
Main article: National Highways of Pakistan
During the
1990s, Pakistan began an ongoing project to rebuild all national highways
throughout the country specifically to important financial, cargo and textile
centers. The National Highway Authority or NHA is responsible for the
maintenance of all national highways in Pakistan.
The Makran
Coastal Highway follows the coast of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, linking
Karachi and Gwadar. Journey time has been reduced to six or seven hours with
the construction of the new Coastal Highway. The highway was built as part of
an overall plan to improve transport facilities in southern Balochistan.
The Karakoram
Highway is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China
and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass.
Air transport:-
Jinnah International Airport, Karachi
Allama Iqbal International Airport, LahoreMain
article: Airlines of Pakistan
Main article: List of airports in Pakistan
Pakistan has 139 airports[1]. The main airport
include:
Jinnah International Airport (Karachi)
Allama Iqbal International Airport (Lahore)
Benazir Bhutto International Airport
(Islamabad)
Peshawar International Airport (Peshawar)
Quetta International Airport (Quetta)
Faisalabad International Airport (Faisalabad)
Multan International Airport (Multan)
Sialkot International Airport (Sialkot)
Gwadar International Airport (Gwadar)
Shaikh Zayed International Airport (Rahim Yar
Khan)
There are also several smaller airports which
have flights to and from the Gulf because of the large Pakistani diaspora
working in the region. There are 91 airports with paved runways of which 14
have runways longer than 3,047 meters. The remaining 48 airports have unpaved
runways including one airport with a runway longer than 3,047 meters. Pakistan
also has eighteen heliports.
Local Transport:-
Air-conditioned Daewoo City Bus
The Flying Coach mini-vans are fast and cheap
ways to travel within the city as well as out of city
Since 1999, the number of brands and varieties
of motorbikes and scooters have substantially increased to suit all budgets and
sizes.In urban areas there are several means of transport available, catering
to a wide range of budgets.
Buses:-
Within
cities, buses provide a significant role in commuting a large population from
one point in a city to another. There are two main owners that are able to run
bus services: government or private. The Flying Coach are private run yellow
and white vans that run services throughout the city to get commuters from one
point in the city to the other. These are also referred to as
"mini-buses" as the are smaller versions of the coaches that carry
less people and get commuters to their destinations more quickly.
Since 2000, the government has taken a
comprehensive initiative to modernize the existing bus fleets and minimally
impact the environment. This public-private enterprise would gradually
introduce 8,000 CNG buses throughout the country and 800 buses in Karachi. This
venture will ensure high standards of efficiency and cleanliness.
Taxis:-
Another
very common sight seen mainly at hotels and airports are yellow taxis. The
drivers charge according to a meter located on the dashboard of the car, but
fares can be negotiated if there is no meter. The cab drivers are reliable and
will take passengers to any destination required. There are also numerous privately
run services that use cars and minibuses of various types throughout Pakistan,
providing a reliable and quick means of transport. Recently, the Radio Cab was
introduced in Pakistan, which offers riders to call a toll free number to get
in touch with the closest taxi stand. This service is currently offered in
Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore. Services for Hyderabad and
Sialkot are now being made.
Cars:-
Over the years,
the number of cars on Pakistani roads has tripled. Traffic jams are a common
scene in major cities across Pakistan. The most popular cars on Pakistani roads
are, Suzuki Mehran, Suzuki khyber, Suzuki Alto, Suzuki Cultus, Daihatsu Coure,
Hyundai Santro, Honda Civic, Honda City, Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla and Toyota
Vitz. In late 2005, Suzuki introduced the APV (All-Purpose Vehicle) the first
luxury family van in Pakistan. Utility vehicles (SUVs or 4x4s) are also a
familiar sight in Pakistan. This type of car is very multi functional as it
allows long distance and off road travel, within cities as well as city to city
travel. The most popular models are the Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Prado,
Mitsubishi Pajero, Kia Sportage, Suzuki APV can also be sighted. Adam Revo,
Pakistan's first manufactured car, was developed to meet the needs of low
income families.
