ABSTRACT
‘No one would use it unless they had to.’ This comment by a bus passenger in Lahore sums up the deplorable state of public transport services generally in Pakistan’s cities today. A typical journey for a passenger will involve scrabbling for the privilege of being crammed like a sardine against other passengers inside – or hanging on for dear life to the outside – of a battered old (mini) bus, being driven at breakneck speed by an underqualified driver, and constantly jolted around as he brakes, accelerates and weaves around the multiple obstacles in the carriageway. If you did happen to get a seat you are likely to face a wait before departure until the bus is full to capacity or more. Reaching your destination you may be set down in the midst of the melee at a junction rather than at an authorized bus stop. To reach your bus route in the first place may well have involved a long walk, since many areas of the city are ill served or have no services at all. It may take even longer to get back home in the evening if the driver decides to cut the route short and turn around because there are no longer enough passengers for it to be profitable. If you are a woman, as a Muslim it will be unacceptable for you to use public transport at all in such circumstances.
