Comparative analysis of public transport modes available in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of selected parameters of existing formal and informal Public Transport (PT) modes being operated on three different types of fuels. The performance of PT modes is analysed on fuel consumption, capacity, transportation cost, and emissions resulting from these modes. The required data were collected using route-check survey method and conducting a questionnaire-based survey from drivers and operators of these modes. Furthermore, the performance of proposed buses for an under-construction BRT corridor is also evaluated and compared with the existing PT modes. The comparative analysis of the existing PT modes in Karachi shows that CNG operated PT modes are economically more efficient, which caused the conversion of diesel engines of buses and minibuses to CNG fuelled-engines. The study, for the first time, evaluates and compares the performance of informal PT mode (chingchi) with other modes of PT. Results show that the PT modes with less capacity, such as chingchi, should be discouraged due to their comparatively lower performance on the selected parameters. This study can be used by the authorities to analyze the performance of existing modes and prioritize the PT modes for future planning.