ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will boost not only the economy of Pakistan but will also help in resolving the problems related to transport in the country.
Recently, a Chinese company announced to launch a bus service in the port city of Karachi along the lines of the People’s Bus Service. The new bus service will consist of a fleet of 500 buses, which will reach the city within four months.
The Sindh government has given four-month time to the Chinese company to procure the buses.
Similarly, the government has decided to connect Ghulam Khan in the North Waziristan tribal district with Motorway 14 under a project of CPEC.
Dr. Nadeemul Haq, a prominent economist and Vice-Chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economist (PIDE), told WealthPK that Pakistan had been facing an unprecedented issue of urbanisation. “The issue of urbanisation in the country has caused many problems related to transport,” he added.
He that that CPEC’s infrastructure would set the future economic direction of Pakistan. “However, the recent urban transport projects by Chinese companies will alleviate the urban transport problems in the country, especially in Karachi,” he added.
Moreover, mass transportation networks have been developed under CPEC, such as the Lahore rail transit Orange Line project. The first transport project under CPEC was inaugurated in 2020. It was completed within six years at a cost of more than $2.2 billion.
CPEC will bring efficiency to the trade and transport sectors in Pakistan. The projects being executed under CPEC will help traders to transport their goods within a short span of time at a lower fare. These projects will also increase the geographical size of the labour market besides attracting tourists in a large number. Adnan Khan, a senior research associate at CPEC, told WealthPK that China’s investment in urban transportation in Pakistan would help to reduce burden on public transport. “It will help in transport pooling in the metropolitan cities. The eventual benefit will be green transportation in the urban areas,” he added.
He said that CPEC could also help in improving logistics in Pakistan. “CPEC may help Pakistan to ‘save distance’ in terms of transport,” he added.
–INP
