Pakistan's Vibrant Middle Class Driving Motorcycle Sales Boom

[acetophenol]

Congrats. Although I hope for your sake, I hope it doesn't become a complete mess like India where the guys in motorbikes are a nuisance - cutting and overtaking from the wrong side, driving on the wrong side of the road, parking haphazardly etc. I have become so fried with driving that have started Ubering to and from work. Invariably get into a argument with a biker once a week. If there was a good public transport system, I would gladly use it.

If I am not wrong,it already is the case in Pakistan,if not only worse. With bikes being more highly performing and along with stricter rules and increased awareness,I see Indian riders giving more importance to safety these days,though at a low pace. Earlier people used to stare at those wearing helmets as if they were from mars,but now it is considered okay,atleast in my place. Features like disc brake have become pretty much standard and ABS is becoming cheaper.

However the cases of unsafe driving will continue in India and Pakistan,cause of a variety of reasons. Roads are not wide enough to accomodate the large volume of vehicles,poor training etc. Its subcontinent thing I guess.

 

[nair]

Let me pre-empt expected bragging by Pakistan's neighbor to the East by adding the following:

It's 16.5 million motorcycles sold in India last year vs 2.1 million in Pakistan. India's motorcycle sales are growing slower (7%) than in Pakistan (16.5%)

Motorcycle sales have been expanding at a compound growth rate of 7 percent per year since 2010/11 and hit a record 16.5 million in 2015/16, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

http://in.reuters.com/article/india-gasoline-boom-kemp-idINKCN11L1GH

NO need to compare both the industries in any manner, (other than that of the growth rate)...... Indian market is 8 times bigger than that of Pakistan, and both has huge potential to grow further.....

 

[Bombaywalla]

Good luck, Pakistan! Bikes are the worst thing to have happened to south Asia.

Hate motorcycles and the selfish mofos who ride them.

 

[Bouncer]

Although I hope for your sake, I hope it doesn't become a complete mess like India where the guys in motorbikes are a nuisance - cutting and overtaking from the wrong side, driving on the wrong side of the road, parking haphazardly etc. I have become so fried with driving that have started Ubering to and from work. Invariably get into a argument with a biker once a week. If there was a good public transport system, I would gladly use it.

Same shit happened in Pakistan too. In my city these guys (mostly young and careless but some middle aged men too) drive right in the MIDDLE of intra-city highways (where cars go 80kmph on average). A lot of bikers have ZERO respect for traffic signals and road etiquettes even in Islamabad (where traffic is a lot better compared to South Asian standards).

You'll find these entitled assholes who start inching forward on red lights until they reach the middle of chowk (intersection) and the opposing traffic has very little room to turn. Can't even describe how much I hate this shit. Then some bikers have often small kids hanging around the bike and they crisscross high speed heavy traffic as if its a movie stunt.

And then there is this "thing" with bikers. Try reversing your car (getting out of a parking spot) or taking a U-turn and you'll find one or two impatient, always in a hurry biker who will use that 1 foot of space to go first. Like they deserve to go first.

/Rant over

 

[acetophenol]

Good luck, Pakistan! Bikes are the worst thing to have happened to south Asia.

Hate motorcycles and the selfish mofos who ride them.

Blasphemy!

 

[Bombaywalla]

Blasphemy!

Haha. Sorry but bikers on their crappy machines are absolute scum!

 

[gslv mk3]

Let me pre-empt expected bragging by Pakistan's neighbor to the East by adding the following:

It's 16.5 million motorcycles sold in India last year vs 2.1 million in Pakistan. India's motorcycle sales are growing slower (7%) than in Pakistan (16.5%)

Still, Indian two wheeler manufacturing industry is much larger & has larger effects on Indian industry given the share of local manufacturing & the level of localization.

And it takes a special kind of troll to compare the average growth rate over 5 years to data for an year.

 

[acetophenol]

Haha. Sorry but bikers on their crappy machines are absolute scum!

Come on bro,you can blame those morons who have no regard for basic rules as many as you want,but please dont generalize! There are lot of us who take pride in being safe riders!

And most importantly, just don't blame the machine!!!

Motorcycles are more than just being cool,its freedom,it a challenge to ride one,it takes focus to ride one, its never routine,its fresh all the time. Being on your own,in the open air,aaahhhh!

Still, Indian two wheeler manufacturing industry is much larger & has larger effects on Indian industry given the share of local manufacturing & the level of localization.

And it takes a special kind of troll to compare the average growth rate over 5 years to data for an year.

Krithyamayi dutyku ethiyalo,santhoshamayi unni,santhoshamayi

 

[Jackdaws]

Haha. Sorry but bikers on their crappy machines are absolute scum!

Last month I found 5 motorbikes parked inside my building blocking the cars. I called up 100 and got a towing van to come tow all of them. Turns out, the buffoons who had parked inside were themselves cops who had come with a minor minister to an adjacent event hall. They came up and told me to take back the complaint as now since they had been booked, they would have to pay the fine anyways to the traffic department. I told them they are lucky that I am not complaining about trespassing on private property. They got upset - told me they are public servants and went away.

 

[gslv mk3]

Krithyamayi dutyku ethiyalo,santhoshamayi unni,santhoshamayi

Pinnalah...

 

[SrNair]

Oh yeah ,OP trolled it already .
Topic is about. Pakistan and he himself brought India

 

[Bombaywalla]

Come on bro,you can blame those morons who have no regard for basic rules as many as you want,but please dont generalize! There are lot of us who take pride in being safe riders!

Fair enough, mate, but the morons outnumber the non-morons by a massive massive MASSIVE margin!

And most importantly, just don't blame the machine!!!

Kids on their KTMs zig-zaging through traffic and not stopping for pedestrians are only asking to be run over. Idiots!

 

[nair]

Still, Indian two wheeler manufacturing industry is much larger & has larger effects on Indian industry given the share of local manufacturing & the level of localization

That is one advantage we have, even though there are enough foran maal available the deshi version sells much more than the foren maal.... Avg fig of industry : Hero 5.2L,Bajaj 2.lak, TVS 2.4 lak, RE 0.4lak Vs Honda 3.6L,Suzuki 0.2l Yamaha 0.4 L (have not taken the minnos from both sides in to consideration) so it is 10L vs 4.5 L.... (But when it comes to cars, it is Foren maal all the way)

Pakistani auto industry has lot to learn from Indian manufacturers....These japanese guys are good in quality and the tough competition would make the local players to work on their product and come up with some excellent products..... HOpe they learn from us...

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Ardent fan of your blog 'Haq musings' read most of the threads if not all of them. Some of the strengths of the country that has never been highlighted in international forums and your blog misses it also i guess.

1- Pakistan private education system which a few articles has said is one of the best in the world. Pakistan has some of the best private school system in the world , like the 'City School System' and the 'Beacon house' school system with more than 8 lacs students studying there. Also TCS, the citizen foundation, a charity run school system is catering to more than 160,000 students from the under privileged class, a rare feat.

2- Pakistanis yearly donates about 650 billion rupees in charity, donations that includes Zakat to the under privilege of the society and the country ranks in top 4 in the world in per capita charity donations. One of the reason you see a lot less wide spread poverty in Pakistan and discrepancies between people.

3- The philanthropic run hospitals like SIUT, Indus hospital and many more is catering to a huge populace and without any charges. The point is while the government may be incompetent and in constant inertia, it is the private enterprise, the entrepreneurs which makes Pakistan performs better. Can be highlighted more...

 

[xyxmt]

Please dont repeat the mistake indian cities/city planners have done. Try to push for public transport as much as you can. The race for having private cars only leads to pollutions, congestions, parking issues, fights among neighbours for the parking space, apart from health hazards because of this.

public transport become too expensive for lower middle class, a 70cc motor cycle will take you around the city four times in two liters