WEEKEND MAGAZINE (January 22, 2011) : A survey was conducted on the transport sector of Pakistan to get first hand experience of citizens' problems. Out of all the surveys distributed randomly in various universities, engineering firms and government agencies located in either Islamabad or Rawalpindi, 83% response rate was achieved.
Targeting universities provided us with easy access to youth belonging to different areas of Pakistan and therefore helped us in significantly eliminating the sample bias problem. In the sample, 52% of the respondents were from the age group of 21-25 years followed by 30% from the age group of 26 and above. Remaining 18% were between 17-20 years of age. Similarly, 38% were fully employed including 1% not in paid employment, 58% were students while 4% were both student and employed.
It was found that only 26% of the respondents use public transport on daily basis. However, there is considerable demand which is visible from 41% respondents using it at least once or twice a week and 60% using it at least once in two weeks. On the other hand, only 21% respondents said they never use public transport. Main problems faced while commuting are quality and lack of transport. 51% reported that they think quality is the major issue while 36% view it to be lack of transport.
Of the female respondents, many reasoned security related to quality and overcrowding to be the main reason for their reluctance to travel on buses. On the contrary, only 13% reported higher prices to be their major concern. This highlights that currently insufficient routes are being served with inadequate number of buses. It, therefore, makes it necessary for the regulators to realign existing routes and ensure minimum number of buses per route.
Problems facing rail travel are also very similar but of greater magnitude. Almost all the participants complained for poor services. However, 55% thought of it as their major problem while 16% opted for long delays. It was found that 57% of the sample had never travelled via rail. Out of the university students, who represent the newer generation, only 36% had ever used railways.
This is again due to poor services and long delays which 78% of all the students considered to be their immediate issues. Air travel is considered to be the most attractive mode of travel for long distances but is the least used due to higher prices. Only 36% had ever experienced air travel and 86% find it expensive. Of the employed class, 41% do use it at least once a year but this significantly does down to 31% for students.
When asked 'how should we improve Pakistan Railways and Pakistan International Airline?', 36% preferred privatisation over any other solution. 26% were in favour public-private partnership and 27% want the government to run the affairs of these enterprises on commercial basis.
Most importantly, only 5% wants government to continue giving them subsidy. This is a major finding and is against the general perception of possible public anger against privatisation. Another critical issue which deserves to be highlighted is limited role of universities in career counselling. Only 20% of the students said that they received some job related information from their respective universities. Out of those working, only 3% received help from their educational institutions when looking for a job.
Internet has come to the forefront in helping students looking for jobs. 29% of the respondents find role of internet to be the most important in their job hunt. Newspapers, however, still play a lead role with their share of 31%. Remaining 26% prefer relying on their friends and family. Significant use of internet for this purpose, despite limited employment information available online, provides the labour market with a much transparent platform which is all set to be fully exploited. Dedicated job portals along with online career counselling can play a significant role in ensuring efficient signalling.
Use of Internet has also started to become visible in the professional spheres of people's life, 62% of the respondents said that they mostly use internet for work or study purposes. This percentage is almost the same for both employed and students. These findings have been taken into account when proposing key reforms on connectivity of Pakistan in the work of New Development Approach (NDA) undertaken by the Planning Commission.
Targeting universities provided us with easy access to youth belonging to different areas of Pakistan and therefore helped us in significantly eliminating the sample bias problem. In the sample, 52% of the respondents were from the age group of 21-25 years followed by 30% from the age group of 26 and above. Remaining 18% were between 17-20 years of age. Similarly, 38% were fully employed including 1% not in paid employment, 58% were students while 4% were both student and employed.
It was found that only 26% of the respondents use public transport on daily basis. However, there is considerable demand which is visible from 41% respondents using it at least once or twice a week and 60% using it at least once in two weeks. On the other hand, only 21% respondents said they never use public transport. Main problems faced while commuting are quality and lack of transport. 51% reported that they think quality is the major issue while 36% view it to be lack of transport.
Of the female respondents, many reasoned security related to quality and overcrowding to be the main reason for their reluctance to travel on buses. On the contrary, only 13% reported higher prices to be their major concern. This highlights that currently insufficient routes are being served with inadequate number of buses. It, therefore, makes it necessary for the regulators to realign existing routes and ensure minimum number of buses per route.
Problems facing rail travel are also very similar but of greater magnitude. Almost all the participants complained for poor services. However, 55% thought of it as their major problem while 16% opted for long delays. It was found that 57% of the sample had never travelled via rail. Out of the university students, who represent the newer generation, only 36% had ever used railways.
This is again due to poor services and long delays which 78% of all the students considered to be their immediate issues. Air travel is considered to be the most attractive mode of travel for long distances but is the least used due to higher prices. Only 36% had ever experienced air travel and 86% find it expensive. Of the employed class, 41% do use it at least once a year but this significantly does down to 31% for students.
When asked 'how should we improve Pakistan Railways and Pakistan International Airline?', 36% preferred privatisation over any other solution. 26% were in favour public-private partnership and 27% want the government to run the affairs of these enterprises on commercial basis.
Most importantly, only 5% wants government to continue giving them subsidy. This is a major finding and is against the general perception of possible public anger against privatisation. Another critical issue which deserves to be highlighted is limited role of universities in career counselling. Only 20% of the students said that they received some job related information from their respective universities. Out of those working, only 3% received help from their educational institutions when looking for a job.
Internet has come to the forefront in helping students looking for jobs. 29% of the respondents find role of internet to be the most important in their job hunt. Newspapers, however, still play a lead role with their share of 31%. Remaining 26% prefer relying on their friends and family. Significant use of internet for this purpose, despite limited employment information available online, provides the labour market with a much transparent platform which is all set to be fully exploited. Dedicated job portals along with online career counselling can play a significant role in ensuring efficient signalling.
Use of Internet has also started to become visible in the professional spheres of people's life, 62% of the respondents said that they mostly use internet for work or study purposes. This percentage is almost the same for both employed and students. These findings have been taken into account when proposing key reforms on connectivity of Pakistan in the work of New Development Approach (NDA) undertaken by the Planning Commission.
& Published in Business Recorder - Weekend Magazine (22nd Jan, 2011)
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