Canadian vs Pakistani Drivers ft. Shahveer Jafry

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Every social media user in Pakistan knows the famous vlogger Shahveer Jafry. The guy has over 3 Million subscribers on YouTube and a huge fanbase on other social platforms. So, we thought of featuring him in one of our Owner’s Review episodes, but then we learned that Shahveer has spent most of his life in Canada. In fact, he has just moved back to Pakistan two years ago. Things took a turn for the better, and we got a comparison of Canadian and Pakistani car trends and driving habits.  

Road Habits

1. Roads in Canada are squeaky clean; roads in Pakistan are a freaking mess.

Almost everyone here complains about the garbage on the road without acknowledging that we are the ones throwing trash out the car windows. Roads in Canada and other developed countries are clean because of the people there. Pakistanis need to understand that clean roads start with YOU. 

“When I moved here in 2019, I went to McDonald’s with some of my Canadian friends. We were waiting in line when we saw a brand-new Audi A6. The driver picked up his order, moved the car out of the line, opened the window, and threw the package on the road. I was so disappointed to see someone driving a high-class car doing such a shameful thing”, said Shahveer.

2. You’ll see underage drivers everywhere in Pakistan, nowhere in Canada.

Shahveer told us that underage driving is a serious offence in Canada. Whereas in Pakistan, it’s a common sight. In our country, kids of age 12 and 14 are riding motorcycles and even driving cars, and nobody blinks an eye. Even if the police spot such cases, they do the dirty dealings and let the kids go. 

“I was 12 when I started to drive my dad’s car. It was a red Santro, and I had got its bumpers lowered. Still, I used to see the road from behind the steering wheel. I’d be driving with my friends, and the police used to stop us on the road, take a few rounds with us in the car, and then ask for mithai k paise before letting us go. I was so young I didn’t know what that meant. But now I realize they were asking for bribery (rishwat).”

3. Driving a car without a license plate is out of the question in Canada, a common practice in Pakistan.

Both Canada and Pakistan allow customized number plates for cars. The difference is you cannot take the car on the road without the number plate. In Pakistan, we see hundreds and thousands of plate-less vehicles on the roads. 

4. Car insurance is an option in Pakistan, a must in Canada.

You simply cannot drive an uninsured car in Canada; it’s illegal. In Pakistan, it’s no big deal. You can get car insurance if you want, or don’t and just call it haram, like most people do.

5. Canadian’s follow the traffic rules. Pakistanis say humari road, humari marzi.

Pakistani drivers are the most careless beings in the world. Nobody cares about lanes, speed limits, or any other traffic rules. Everyone’s a player, and roads are their playground. For someone who lived in Canada for so many years and then moved to Pakistan, it’s a shocker how people are driving so recklessly.

“Whenever I am in a friend’s car, and they are not wearing a seatbelt or doing rash driving, I take out my phone, film them, tag their accounts, and post it on social media. So, now my friends who have never followed any traffic rules in their life are doing it with the fear of getting exposed on social media in front of millions of people”, said Shahveer.

Car Buying Process

When it comes to buying cars, Canada and other countries have a push system. Pakistan has a pull system.

Canada: Go to the showroom, give them the money, and take the car home. 

Pakistan: Go to the showroom, pay the money in advance, and then wait for months to get the car.

In Pakistan, the salespersons first scare the buyer with late deliveries, trying to get them to pay ON money. If the buyer does what they want, they take the full payment plus the ON and still deliver the car in a few days. If not, they take the advance booking amount and then make the delivery after a few months. 

There’s no way out. If you want the car within days, you have to pay extra thousands, even lacs, in the name of ON. And if you don’t do that, you have to wait for months to get the car. 

Shahveer was lucky enough to buy his dream car in Canada. It was the Mercedes C300 2018 Coupe, and the buying process was easy and straightforward. 

“I went to the showroom, and they had the car there available for sale. I paid for it, and they gave me the invoice and the keys then and there. I went to the showroom the next day and took the car home.”

Car Finance Process

Financing a car is the best thing in Canada. That’s why almost every household owns a car. People have the option to finance or lease cars. Either way, they get the car on down payment and then pay monthly installments for a certain period. With car finance, the car becomes theirs after that period. In case of a lease, the car goes back to the showroom. 

In Pakistan, only a handful of people know what car finance is and how to use this service. PakWheels has partnered with the leading car finance service providers to enable more and more people to buy and own cars. 

Driving License Process

Getting a driver’s license in Canada is not a fool’s play. You have to do your homework and learn how to drive and be a good and responsible driver. Shahveer took a seven-day course with a professional driving instructor to pass the driving test. 

Here in Pakistan, the driver’s license process is not as fair as it should be. They just check if you know how to drive (sometimes not even that) and give you a license. They don’t care if you are familiar with the road ethics or not. 

Having said that, the government has made the driver’s license process easy and smooth. You can apply for a driving license at home from the traffic police website and even take an online driving test. Select the appointment as per your convenience, take the test, and your driver’s license will be delivered to you if you pass.

Car Prices

Last but not least, the difference in car prices between the two countries is HUGE. Cars are low-cost in Canada, so everyone can afford them. Car prices in Pakistan are crazy high; only the elite can afford them. Let’s talk numbers and see how big the price difference is.

Shahveer’s brother has recently bought a Ford F-150 truck in Canada for $3,000. In Pakistani rupees, that amounts to almost Rs. 4.5 to 5 lacs. Now, if he were to buy the same truck here in Pakistan, it would have cost him a fortune of Rs. 1 to 1.5 crore.

Final Takeaways

The purpose of this whole discussion is to talk about these issues and start a change. If we want to make our country better and bring it even remotely close to Canada, we need to change our driving habits and be more responsible on the road. 

Don’t throw garbage on roads.

Don’t let your underage kids drive. Make sure they get their driver’s license first.

Don’t drive cars without number plates.

Get your cars insured.

Follow the traffic rules and try to improve your driving sense. 

Remember, the change starts with YOU. 

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1 Comment
  1. Khurram says

    Good write-up, hopefully people trashing the road with junk and foolish driving would learn something.

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