Petrol pain doubles ride fares

• Yango costs rise 64pc; Islamabad fares up 35pc
• Commuters turn to carpooling groups
• WhatsApp hubs grow as safety fears limit shared rides
• Petrol prices have surged to Rs415 per litre from Rs253 in February

KARACHI: “The rates seem to have doubled,” said Namrah, who used to pay Rs600-650 to commute from Nazimabad to Tipu Sultan using ride-sharing services. After the first jump in petrol prices following the US and Israel’s attack on Iran, fares surged to as high as Rs1,800 during peak hours.

At the time, the easiest explanation lay in the first fuel price hike triggered by the war that amounted to a Rs55 jump in the first week of March. However, the initial increases also coincided with Ramazan and Eid, when many drivers had gone home or were not accepting rides, creating a shortage that pushed prices even higher. Combined with the psychological impact of rising fuel costs, the mobility sector saw fare surges that now appear to have settled at elevated levels. Today, Namrah pays up to Rs1,000 during peak hours, with an average commute cost of around Rs700.

Namrah joined the WhatsApp group CommUnityX to explore carpooling options. Originally formed as a networking group, it also serves as a hub for ride-sharing after its administrator, Ameeque Malik, suggested that its 600-plus members look for solutions among themselves rather than limit discussions to venting frustrations over rising costs.

Built on a similar concept, Carpool Pakistan aligns routes and pools commuters based on their pick-up and drop-off points, says HR executive Hamnah, who also joined CommUnityX to explore shared-ride options.

While carpooling has its merits, it also raises concerns. “I joined the group to find carpool options, but I do not have regular hours, which makes carpooling tricky,” says Namrah. “Plus, there are safety concerns.” In the same WhatsApp group, several messages warn women in particular to be cautious about getting into cars with strangers.

Given the limited availability of safe public transport, ‘ride-hailing remains a vital option due to its convenience, reliability, and access to safer mobility choices for women,’ says inDrive.

‘Earning what you are burning’

Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country’s weekly fuel bill had risen to $800 million from $300m. The latest fuel hike pushed petrol prices up by Rs15 to Rs415 per litre, further fanning inflationary pressures that are rippling across sectors, including ride-sharing services.

On average, a single Yango vehicle undergoes two oil changes per month and covers 200-250 km per day. For a small hatchback such as the Suzuki Alto or Suzuki Cultus, that translates to about 15 litres of petrol per day.

On February 27, before the first US bomb fell on Iran, petrol was priced at Rs253 per litre. It now stands at Rs415. This pushes the daily fuel cost for a ride-sharing car from Rs3,795 to Rs6,225 — a 64pc increase that is ultimately passed on to customers.

While in Karachi and Lahore, the cumulative fare changes are up to 20pc, in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, rates have increased up to 35pc, says Yango’s spokesperson, attributing it to longer average trip distances and higher fuel consumption per ride.

“We are burning what we are earning,” says Namrah, who estimated she spent about Rs22,000 a month on commuting, before the last two petrol price hikes. “I can’t get on a Bykea ride because there are no female riders. Going in a rickshaw means showing up to work in a dishevelled state,” she laments.

Similarly, Hamnah’s monthly commute bill has risen from Rs18,000 to Rs23,000, often supplemented with Yango or inDrive on days requiring late sittings. “Our commute expenses have gone up, but our salaries have not,” she says ruefully.

Changing demand patterns

One cannot quit a job because the commute has become too expensive. And while the government has announced work-from-home measures, many companies still require employees to be physically present in offices.

Overall mobility demand remains strong as ride-hailing continues to be a daily necessity for many commuters.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2026