Travel cost in Pakistan was 7.9 per cent lower in September than in May, according to a Mobility Index that tracks what people pay to move a kilometre by common road modes. The index, launched by Pakistan & Counting with ride-sharing operator BusCaro, fell from a base of 100 in May to 92.1 in September.
For the average vehicle on the road, a kilometre cost Rs9.65 in September, compared with Rs10.48 in May. The index covers eight modes: own bike (petrol), private rickshaw, own car (petrol), public transport (per seat), ride-share (per seat), and ride-hailing bike, rickshaw and car.
Cheaper petrol drove most of the drop
The lower reading was linked mainly to cheaper petrol. Pump prices averaged Rs374.61 a litre in September, 7.5 per cent below May’s Rs405.19. That May level reflected an energy price spike amid conflict in the Middle East and related supply-chain bottlenecks, according to the index findings.
Mode-by-mode figures show the same direction for private vehicles. For a Honda CD70 rider, fuel cost per kilometre fell from Rs7.37 in May to Rs6.81 in September. Running a car cost Rs24.78 per km, down from Rs26.80. A private rickshaw cost Rs11.71 per km, down from Rs12.66.
Public transport reading needs care
Public transport moved the other way in the index arithmetic, though fares themselves did not rise. All four of Punjab’s bus rapid transit (BRT) services—urban high-capacity bus corridors—were free from early April until 12 June. May therefore records no fare on those services, which skews how public-transport cost appears when May is the baseline.
Readers comparing months should treat the headline travel cost in Pakistan figure as a blend of modes, not a single fare table for buses or rickshaws in every city.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Early April 2026: Punjab’s four BRT services begin a free-fare period.
- May 2026: Mobility Index set at 100; petrol averages Rs405.19 a litre; average road kilometre costs Rs10.48.
- 12 June 2026: Free period on Punjab’s BRT services ends.
- September 2026: Index at 92.1; petrol averages Rs374.61 a litre; average kilometre costs Rs9.65; CD70, car and private rickshaw per-km costs are all below May levels.
Aasan alfaaz mein
May se September tak Pakistan mein safar ka kharcha lagbhag 7.9 percent kam ho gaya. Petrol sasta hone se bike, car aur rickshaw ka per kilometre kharcha gira. Average gaari ke liye ek kilometre ab May ke Rs10.48 se ghat kar Rs9.65 par aaya. Punjab ki BRT May mein muft thi, is liye bus ka comparison seedha nahi hai—lekin private sawari chalane walon ke liye fuel bill halka para.
