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The massively popular public transportation service Swvl has been an integral part of what experts refer to as the third wave of ride-hailing services. The Dubai-based startup enables users to hail buses for convenient and affordable travel from one point to another, and it is steadily gaining traction all over Pakistan. In fact, it recently concluded an apparently productive meeting yesterday with the Sindh government.
The company representatives met with the Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Syed Awais Qadir Shah in order to discuss the feasibility and advantages of installing a mass transportation solution in Sindh. The provincial government has reportedly agreed to wholeheartedly support Swvl in its plans of setting up a stable transportation infrastructure in Sindh starting with the economic powerhouse of the country, Karachi.
In collaboration with the Sindh government, Swvl has already explored and analyzed various means of improving the current transit environment of the province. It aims to form a successful long-term public-private partnership that will yield excellent mass transit solutions incorporating state-of-the-art technology.
Furthermore, the ride-hailing startup recently announced that it is gearing up to invest a grand total of $25 million in Pakistan in an attempt to boost the national economy by creating thousands of employment opportunities, installing tech hubs for budding innovators, and by utilizing the local pool of talent to revolutionize the mass transportation infrastructure of the nation.
While these plans may carry the whiff of nothing more than grandiose claims, it is true that ride-hailing services, in general, have led to the creation of a plethora of jobs for the masses. Anyone with a vehicle can either pursue a side-hustle or a decent full-time job simply by registering themselves on platforms like Uber, Careem, and Swvl. Alongside this boost in employment, there has been a definitive increase in mobility within towns and cities as well. If this partnership between Swvl and the Sindh government goes well, it is bound to add to these existing advantages.
