Abstract:
Urban mobility in Pakistan—particularly in metropolitan regions such as Rawalpindi and Islamabad—faces significant challenges including traffic congestion, rising fuel costs, limited parking availability, and environmental pollution. With a growing population and increasing vehicle ownership, roads are becoming more crowded, resulting in longer commute times and reduced productivity. Carpooling provides a cost-effective, sustainable, and community-oriented solution. By allowing individuals traveling on similar routes to share rides, carpooling reduces individual travel costs, lowers emissions, and eases road congestion. Despite these benefits, the adoption of carpooling remains low in Pakistan due to trust issues, lack of reliable digital platforms, and safety concerns. To address these obstacles, we conceptualized Chalo Pool, a mobile-based carpooling application designed specifically for Pakistan’s socio-cultural and infrastructural context. The platform initially targets Rawalpindi and Islamabad, cities with highly connected populations, large student and office-going communities, and consistent intercity commuting patterns. The Requirement for Public Transportation is necessary although the "Twin Cities" of Rawalpindi and Islamabad presently make use of public transit options like the Metro Bus, Chalo Pool seeks to address the following issues: Overcrowding and Capacity The current mass transit system is often overloaded during peak rush hours (7 AM– 10 AM and 4 PM–7 PM), making many people's commutes difficult. Last-Mile Connectivity There is a big gap in "last-mile" travel, or getting from a mass transportation stop to a particular home or place of employment, which forces commuters to take pricey private taxis or uncomfortable vans. Infrastructure Efficiency
