By A Reporter
RAWALPINDI, July 4: Despite a manifold increase in car production in the country, Pakistan still stands relatively low in terms of motorisation when compared globally and even to its neighbours, according to official statistics.
The statistics reveal that Pakistan has only eight cars per thousand persons. In comparison, China has 10 cars, India 12 cars, Indonesia 21 cars, Iran 23 cars, Sri Lanka 25 cars, the Philippines 31 cars and Turkey 67 cars per thousand persons.
Since 2001-02 the automobile market is growing rapidly by over 40 per cent per annum and if an average annual growth of 30 per cent is maintained, Pakistan’s market will cross the milestone of 500,000 units by the year 2010, according to Finance Ministry’s latest Economic Survey.
Even with eight cars per thousand persons, roads in urban areas, particularly the major cities, experience traffic jams and vehicles are seen in long queues on major highways.
Traffic jams on the Murree Road have become a routine despite spending of billions of rupees on its widening and the construction of an underpass at Committee Chowk.
The construction of a flyover on the Murree Road from Marrir Hasan Chowk to Chandni Chowk would take years but might give some hope for the redressal of growing traffic mess.
The traffic situation on major highways in Islamabad has also been worsening. Though the Capital Development Authority is engaged in expanding the road network in the city, traffic jams on all intersections compel planners to think of constructing flyovers in the federal capital.
The present scenario shows the federal and provincial governments and development authorities in the twin cities have not paid the needed attention to build and improve road infrastructure and have ignored the projections of population growth rate and urbanisation.
At the same time, no serious thought was given to alternate means of transportation to lessen the traffic load on roads.
The auto industry in Pakistan is growing fast and may soon begin to achieve economies of scale.
The tremendous rise in automobile demand has resulted in increased production, giving a healthy impetus to the industrial output and generating over 150,000 direct employment opportunities besides contributing tax revenue to the national exchequer, says the survey.
Production of cars in first nine months of 2005-06 increased from 87,104 to 112,478 units. Another 16,885 different types of vehicles were imported during July 2005 to February 2006 under transfer of residence, baggage and gift schemes as compared to only 5,177 units in the same period last year, showing an increase of 230 per cent.