LAHORE/ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Intercity public transport operators across Pakistan have announced steep fare hikes of up to 65 per cent, citing spiralling fuel and spare parts costs following the latest petroleum price increase.
According to data and multiple reports available with MM News, from Lahore — the country’s busiest hub for coach services — fares on major routes jumped sharply as the the Lahore–Islamabad ticket rose from Rs.3,000 to Rs.4,000, Lahore–Peshawar from Rs.3,500 to Rs4,600, Lahore–Sargodha from Rs.1,550 to Rs.2,550, Lahore–Faisalabad from Rs1,350 to Rs2,350, and Lahore–Karachi from Rs.8,600 to Rs.12,000.
Transporters said the additional burden per ticket now ranges between Rs.1,000 and Rs.2,500 on long-haul routes. “Without these adjustments, services will become unsustainable,” operators warned, adding that the hikes mirror nationwide trends.
In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, fares had already climbed in March after the earlier fuel surge — Islamabad–Karachi rose from around Rs.7,000 to Rs.7,500, while Islamabad–Peshawar increased from Rs.800 to Rs.1,000. The latest April adjustments are expected to push costs further in line with Lahore-origin routes.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transporters had raised intercity fares by about 20pc last month, adding Rs.1,000 flat on long routes to Lahore and Karachi. Intra-province services remained unchanged then, but operators now acknowledge fresh upward revisions under fuel pressure.
Karachi saw intra-city bus fares climb from Rs.30 to Rs.50 minimum and up to Rs.100 maximum. Intercity services from Sindh to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were adjusted in March, with long-distance operators now following the same nationwide pattern.
Punjab’s other cities, including Multan, are largely covered under Lahore-origin fare structures. Separately, metro and bus rapid transit systems in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan raised cash fares from Rs.30 to Rs.40 in late March — a 33pc hike unrelated to intercity coaches.
Although no comprehensive April lists have yet emerged from Quetta or Balochistan, but fares on reverse routes (Karachi–Lahore, Peshawar–Karachi) are generally symmetric and adjusted proportionally.
Commuters, meanwhile, have voiced strong complaints online, saying the compounded hikes — first in March and now in April — have made travel unaffordable. Operators such as Daewoo, Faisal Movers, and Skyways advise passengers to check directly with booking apps like Bookme and SastaTicket, as actual prices vary by seat class, timing, and demand.
