The Lahore BRT: A success story

The Lahore BRT was launched in 2013 and covers a 27-kilometre route with 29 stations. It operates high-capacity buses on dedicated bus lanes. The BRT is a dedicated bus lane that runs through the heart of Lahore, providing a quick and efficient way for residents to get around.

The system was introduced to address the growing traffic congestion and air pollution problems in the city. The BRT has not only reduced travel time for commuters but also helped to reduce air pollution levels by reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

Following the success of the Lahore Metro Bus system, the concept of BRT was quickly adopted by other cities in Pakistan, including Islamabad, Peshawar, and Multan. Each of these cities implemented their own unique BRT systems, with features tailored to meet the specific transportation needs of their residents.

The Islamabad-Rawalpindi BRT was launched in 2015 and covers a 23-kilometre route with 27 stations. Like the Lahore BRT, it operates high-capacity buses on dedicated bus lanes and provides a fast and convenient means of transportation for the people of Islamabad. The Islamabad BRT has already had a positive impact on the city, reducing traffic congestion and providing a safe and reliable mode of transportation for commuters in the twin cities.

The Peshawar BRT was launched in 2018 and covers a 22-kilometre route with 23 stations. The system operates on a combination of dedicated bus lanes and mixed traffic lanes, providing a fast and efficient means of transportation for the people of Peshawar. The Peshawar BRT has been well-received by the public and has helped to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

The Multan BRT was launched in 2019 and covers a 23-kilometre route with 25 stations. Like the other BRT systems in Pakistan, it operates high-capacity buses on dedicated bus lanes, providing a fast and convenient means of transportation for the people of Multan.

The Multan BRT has been well-received by the public and has helped to improve mobility and reduce traffic congestion in the city.

In addition to these BRT systems, Pakistan has also recently launched the Orange Line Train, a modern high-speed rail system that connects various neighbourhoods and suburbs in Lahore. The Orange Line Train operates on a dedicated track and provides a fast, convenient, and efficient means of transportation for the people of Lahore. The Orange Line Train has been well-received by the public and has helped to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

Even this project has had its detractors, despite providing cheap and respectable transportation to hundreds of thousands everyday. Many people see projects like this as a white elephant. Yes, public transportation comes at a high cost. It is expensive, time consuming, and difficult to build, and then it also requires subsidies, attention, and upkeep. But that is precisely the point. Projects like the OLMT never make a profit because they are not supposed to. They need to be sustained through subsidies precisely because facilitating mobility for those that cannot afford cars or motorbikes is a government priority.

Finally, the city of Karachi is currently in the process of implementing its own mass transit system, which will consist of a com- bination of BRT and LRT lines. The system is still in the planning stage, but it is expected to provide a modern, efficient, and affordable means of transportation for the people of Karachi.

Pakistan’s journey towards a modern and efficient public transportation system has been a long and complex one, marked by numerous challenges and obstacles. However, with the successful implementation of BRT and other mass transit systems, including the Orange Line Train, Pakistan is now well on its way to providing its citizens with the transportation they need to thrive in the 21st century.

Pakistani cities are struggling to serve their citizens; those who can’t afford a car are excluded from the city, and those who own a car are stuck in traffic, while all of them are breathing poisonous emissions. Public transportation has become a critical need for the future of our cities if we want to take a turn toward a more sustainable future. There are many things that Pakistani cities need to do to improve their public transportation systems. We need to invest in new infrastructure, which includes more mass transit lines but also investment in the public bus. Complemented by bike and pedestrian-friendly transport infrastructure. In addition to improving public transportation in cities, it’s also important to improve connections to suburban and rural areas. This might mean developing new bus routes, increasing the frequency of existing routes, or making public transportation more accessible to people living in these areas.

As the world embraces electric vehicles, Pakistan has this huge opportunity to go “all in” and shift to a 100% electric public transport system which includes buses, taxis, 2 and 3-wheel micro-mobility options such as e- rickshaws, e-scooters/bikes. Given that 22% of our import bill is spent on petroleum, this may actually be a smart financial decision that Pakistan can make at this juncture to reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuel. n