Getting Around Major Cities of Pakistan
With rich culinary traditions and beautiful scenery, each of Pakistan’s cities has their distinct flavor. Being one of the top travel destinations, it’s important to know how to get around the major cities of Pakistan like Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore.
Taxis
This is a form of transport that you will mainly see outside hotels and airports as the drivers are reliable with fares that are pretty much affordable. This is a quick means of transport and this service is used in Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi and mostly for long distances.
Auto Rickshaws
This is a very common form of transport seen on the roads of many cities of Pakistan. The great thing about this is that the fares are negotiable, so don’t forget to haggle. These three-wheeled vehicles are now fuel-efficient, greener, and can carry a considerable amount of weight. This service is mostly used for short distances.
Buses
These are famous for commuting large numbers of people over a major distance. The design of these buses is famous throughout the world with the painting done or quotes written on the vehicle making it the identity of Pakistan. There are now private minivans too that you can book to carpool to a destination. Find some bus services by clicking here. Another international ride-sharing company for buses is Swvl, find more details about it by clicking here.
Metro
Orange line is the first driverless metro in Pakistan, operated by Punjab Mass Transit Authority. This automated transit system in Lahore can accommodate 250,000 passengers daily. Another major system of the railway is in Karachi, Karachi circular Railway serves the metropolitan area. There are metro buses too in Peshawar, Islamabad, and Lahore.
Other modes of private transport
Private transport is more flexible since you don’t have to wait for them. The famous ones used on a daily basis are Uber, Careem and as mentioned before for buses is Swvl. Uber and Careem are relatively costly but provide a choice for example Uber or Careem Go that comes with a good AC car, or a mini that is a non-AC car, rickshaw, and bike. The prices decrease as you go down to rickshaws or bikes. You can also rent a car with or without a driver which is more convenient and economical, the rates can vary from PKR 5,000-12,000. To get more details about Islamabad, click here. For Karachi, click here. Whereas for Lahore, click here.