On April 3rd (local time), the Pakistani government officially implemented a policy of free bus and public transport tickets in the capital Islamabad.
Under pressure when the government imposed new fees on gasoline and oil, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directly intervened to adjust the price schedule to reduce the burden on the people.
In a speech on national television, Prime Minister Sharif said he had decided to reduce the surcharge on gasoline prices. Instead of the initially announced 485 rupees (equivalent to 1.74 USD) per liter, the actual gasoline price will be set at the threshold of 378 rupees (equivalent to 1.36 USD) per liter.
Government leaders affirmed that this adjusted price will be maintained for at least 1 month to support consumers. However, diesel oil still maintains the price of 520 rupees (about 5.6 USD) per liter after fluctuations due to the impact of the war situation in the Iranian region.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on social network X that the entire public transport network in the capital Islamabad will serve people free of charge for 1 month, starting from April 4. The government is expected to allocate a budget of about 350 million rupees (equivalent to 1.26 million USD) to compensate for operating costs for this support. This is considered a drastic step to reduce travel costs for the working class in the context of complex and unpredictable global energy prices.
Not only stopping at the capital, the Punjab government - the province with the highest population density in Pakistan - is also implementing similar support measures. The Governor of Punjab announced the complete abolition of tolls on bus routes and public transport managed by the state. At the same time, the province is implementing additional "targeted subsidies" packages for inter-provincial truck and bus operators. This support helps maintain the supply chain of essential goods and prevent spontaneous increases in freight rates from private enterprises.
While waiting for the regional energy situation to stabilize again, these bailout packages play an important role in protecting people's purchasing power. The Pakistani government affirmed that it will continue to closely monitor market developments to make appropriate adjustments, ensuring that the production and living activities of the whole society are not disrupted by external pressures.
