IN Pakistan’s big cities, every morning begins the same way: a long line of brake-lights, a haze that hangs stubbornly in the air, and millions of people calculating how late they are going to be.

In Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Faisalabad, the story of urban growth is increasingly told through traffic jams and bad air quality.

Transport has become the most visible symbol of how our cities are expanding and how they are struggling.

Urbanisation in Pakistan is racing ahead faster than cities can breathe or infrastructure can cope.

Nearly 40 per cent of the population now lives in urban areas, a share that continues to rise with every passing year.

Cities promise jobs, education, healthcare and opportunity.

Yet, as populations swell and housing sprawls outward, fragile infrastructure is pushed to breaking point.

Roads once designed for a fraction of today’s traffic now carry millions of vehicles daily; motorbikes weave between buses, rickshaws sputter forward, private cars inch along flyovers, and pedestrians risk their lives crossing multilane roads.

The cost of this growth is environmental, economic and deeply personal.

Invisible cost of mobility

Transport in Pakistan is not merely a matter of convenience — it is becoming a defining axis of social inequity, environmental harm and economic strain.

Every delayed bus, every gridlocked motorway, and every extra kilometre travelled is not simply an inconvenience; it is a cost paid in polluted air, rising fuel bills, lost time and growing climate risk.

Vehicular emissions are a major driver of urban air pollution across the country.

As traffic surges across Pakistan’s cities, so does the toll on public health and the environment.

Respiratory illnesses, allergies, cardiovascular disease, and reduced life expectancy are becoming part of daily life, while the grey haze of smog has become all too familiar.

In 2025, Pakistan was ranked the world’s smoggiest country, with levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) up to 13 times higher than the safe limits recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This is a stark reminder that pollution is not an abstract statistic, but the direct consequence of millions of combustion engines idling in congested streets.

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The consequences extend beyond human health. Urban transport has become one of the fastest-growing sources of GHG emissions in the country.

Rapid urbanisation, combined with sprawling development and limited public transport in many cities, has driven a surge in private vehicles.

The daily choreography of cars, bikes and rickshaws on the streets is not just a story of congestion; it is a visible marker of how Pakistan’s cities are locking themselves into carbon-intensive patterns.

Urban growth has also stretched the cities outward. Affordable housing and gated communities continue to proliferate far from city centres.

A worker living on the periphery of Lahore or Karachi may travel two to three hours daily just to reach work.

Distance is no longer measured in kilometres, but in hours lost to congestion and the fuel burned in gridlock.

Public transport remains fragmented at best.

While BRT systems and metro bus corridors have been introduced in several cities, their reach remains limited relative to sprawling populations.

Feeder networks are inconsistent, integration across routes is weak, and last‑mile connectivity continues to be a major barrier.

The impact of transport dysfunction is not evenly felt. Those who can afford private transport depend on it.

For women, mobility challenges are sharper. Transport, in this sense, is not only a climate issue, but an issue of social justice.

Climate-friendly transport offers a pathway out of this crisis. Electric mobility has emerged globally as a central strategy for reducing transport emissions.

In Pakistan, electric vehicles (EVs) are gradually making their presence felt.

Charging infrastructure is slowly expanding in major cities, laying the groundwork for a larger transition.

Complementing this gradual adoption, government policy aims at increasing the share significantly by 2030.

Experts estimate that even a 30pc adoption of electric vehicles could reduce urban air pollution by nearly 20pc.

EVs promise zero tailpipe emissions and, if paired with greener electricity generation, could significantly improve air quality.

Electric buses also offer a pathway to cleaner mass transit, lowering operating costs over time and benefiting millions of daily commuters.

Yet, this transition is not straightforward.

Without cleaner and more stable energy generation, electrifying transport risks shifting emissions from roads to power plants.

Affordability is another challenge.

While financing schemes and subsidies exist to support EV adoption, most people remain unaware of them, and navigating these programmes can be difficult.

Charging infrastructure, battery recycling and trained mechanics remain scarce.

Building for people

Technology alone will not solve Pakistan’s mobility crisis.

Electric buses, rickshaws and cars will fail if the infrastructure is inadequate.

Climate-friendly transport must be built for people: it must reach every neighbourhood, be affordable, safe and reliable. Maintenance is as important as construction.

Moreover, non-motorised options — walking and cycling — must be made viable.

Continuous sidewalks, protected cycling lanes, and safe crossings are prerequisites.

Compact urban planning that aligns housing, employment and transit reduces unnecessary commuting.

Digital tools like real-time tracking apps and integrated ticketing can help, but only if the physical system works first.

Ultimately, climate-friendly transport in Pakistan demands a holistic approach.

Cities must be redesigned to prioritise people over vehicles. Sidewalks need to be safe and continuous. Cycling lanes must be integrated and protected. Walking and biking must be viable alternatives for short trips. Housing, employment and transport planning must be aligned to reduce the need for long commutes.

And, policy and investment must extend beyond short-term political cycles.

The broader case

The economic case is compelling.

Pakistan spends billions of dollars annually on fuel imports.

Local manufacturing of electric bikes and buses can generate employment, while improved air quality can reduce medical expenses and may boost productivity.

Time saved from shorter, more efficient commutes translates into tangible improvements in quality of life.

But perhaps the most powerful argument is social and psychological.

Imagine a Karachi where commuting does not feel like a daily battle, a Lahore or Multan where winter does not automatically bring smog alerts.

These scenarios are not utopian fantasies; they are policy choices within reach if vision, investment and coordination converge.

The crossroads

Pakistan stands at a critical juncture.

Urban growth is inevitable. The question is whether transport systems will evolve fast enough to support it sustainably.

If we invest in climate-friendly, integrated and equitable mobility, our cities can become healthier, more efficient and more inclusive.

The road ahead is crowded, but it is not closed.

The choice is no longer whether or not Pakistan needs climate-friendly transport. It does.

The question is whether or not Pakistan can move fast enough to build what is needed.

The lives of millions, the health of the environment, and the economic resilience of cities depend on this very point.

The writer is a climate activist.