Pakistan Offers Free Public Transport Amid Record Fuel Price Hike

ISLAMABAD: In an emergency relief measure, Pakistan’s federal and Punjab provincial governments have announced free public transport services as petrol prices soar to an all-time high of Rs 458.41 per litre — a single-day jump of Rs 137.23.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, acting on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, announced that all public transport in the federal capital Islamabad will be free of charge for the next 30 days. The Ministry of Interior will bear the entire cost, with Rs 350 million allocated for the initiative.
Simultaneously, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced free public transit across all cities in the province. Commuters using the Orange Line Train, Metro Bus, Green Electric Bus, and Speedo Bus services will no longer need to purchase tickets. She also announced a subsidy of Rs 100 per litre of diesel for farmers, capped at one litre per acre.
The relief packages come on the heels of a steep fuel price revision, with High Speed Diesel rising by Rs 184.49 to Rs 520.35 per litre. Authorities say the measures are designed to ease the burden on daily commuters and low-income citizens during an exceptionally difficult economic period.
“We will not leave the public alone in these hard times,” said CM Maryam Nawaz, urging citizens to use public transport instead of private vehicles during the current crisis.