Strategic advantages if Pakistan adopts "Left Hand " drive..

[Baibars_1260]

Pakistan has an awful legacy in its road ( and rail) traffic rules which stifles Pakistan's logistics capabilities and has severe strategic implications.
Pakistan is adhering to the British colonial legacy of driving on the left side of the road using "right hand" drive cars. There is no particular reason for Pakistan to do so when there is every reason to abandon this archaic practice to enable the economic growth and easier transport of essential goods.
Let's take a look at the situation:
- All (but ONE) of Pakistan's neighboring countries drive on the right side of the road using left hand drive cars, trucks, buses, trailer rigs.
-The neighboring country that does drive on the left side of the road is an enemy nation and there is no advantage in allowing its transport into Pakistan ( in fact its an extreme risk!). Pakistanis are unlikely to drive from Lahore to Delhi for a holiday in the near future nor are Indians going to come and vacation in Islamabad, So there is no advantage maintaining a traffic rule common to both nations, unless we want to make it easier for a ground invasion.
- Afghanistan, Iran and China all drive on the right side of the road. Earlier there was only a trickle of traffic across extremely hostile and dangerous roads. CPEC has been a game changer with a network of excellent roads completed and which is expanding. The security on all three frontiers has improved and better mutual relations will require free and unhindered movements of road traffic carrying goods, and passengers.
-Commercial Pakistani road traffic is presently restricted to specially trained drivers who can drive a heavy right hand drive truck into left hand drive Afghanistan and Iran, a practice that results in horrific accidents on account of visibility and human errors,
China plays safe by using trailers that are hitched and swapped with left hand drive cabs and taken over by Chinese drivers.
- Globally there are far less right hand drive vehicles manufactured than left hand drive vehicles so the price advantage of high volume production is lost. Pakistan is restricted to manufacturing and importing extremely expensive Japanese right hand drive vehicles, when right next door in China is a huge automobile industry making the lowest priced vehicles in the world.
To integrate its economy and broaden its frontiers Pakistan must change.
Other countries have faced this problem like Sweden which was the only country in Europe to drive on the left and changed in September 1967 and more recently Myanmar . Nepal might follow suit.
Pakistanis could write to their MNA to propose a bill to change the rules. It would help and secure our nation and make available low cost reliable automobiles to our people.
We need to get off our two wheelers.
Also we need to change our rail gauge from 1676 mm to the international 1435 mm gauge.

 

[PK784]

The fixed costs needed to convert roads and signage to RHD would probably outweigh any benefits

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Pakistan has an awful legacy in its road ( and rail) traffic rules which stifles Pakistan's logistics capabilities and has severe strategic implications.
Pakistan is adhering to the British colonial legacy of driving on the left side of the road using "right hand" drive cars. There is no particular reason for Pakistan to do so when there is every reason to abandon this archaic practice to enable the economic growth and easier transport of essential goods.
Let's take a look at the situation:
- All (but ONE) of Pakistan's neighboring countries drive on the right side of the road using left hand drive cars, trucks, buses, trailer rigs.
-The neighboring country that does drive on the left side of the road is an enemy nation and there is no advantage in allowing its transport into Pakistan ( in fact its an extreme risk!). Pakistanis are unlikely to drive from Lahore to Delhi for a holiday in the near future nor are Indians going to come and vacation in Islamabad, So there is no advantage maintaining a traffic rule common to both nations, unless we want to make it easier for a ground invasion.
- Afghanistan, Iran and China all drive on the right side of the road. Earlier there was only a trickle of traffic across extremely hostile and dangerous roads. CPEC has been a game changer with a network of excellent roads completed and which is expanding. The security on all three frontiers has improved and better mutual relations will require free and unhindered movements of road traffic carrying goods, and passengers.
-Commercial Pakistani road traffic is presently restricted to specially trained drivers who can drive a heavy right hand drive truck into left hand drive Afghanistan and Iran, a practice that results in horrific accidents on account of visibility and human errors,
China plays safe by using trailers that are hitched and swapped with left hand drive cabs and taken over by Chinese drivers.
- Globally there are far less right hand drive vehicles manufactured than left hand drive vehicles so the price advantage of high volume production is lost. Pakistan is restricted to manufacturing and importing extremely expensive Japanese right hand drive vehicles, when right next door in China is a huge automobile industry making the lowest priced vehicles in the world.
To integrate its economy and broaden its frontiers Pakistan must change.
Other countries have faced this problem like Sweden which was the only country in Europe to drive on the left and changed in September 1967 and more recently Myanmar . Nepal might follow suit.
Pakistanis could write to their MNA to propose a bill to change the rules. It would help and secure our nation and make available low cost reliable automobiles to our people.
We need to get off our two wheelers.
Also we need to change our rail gauge from 1676 mm to the international 1435 mm gauge.

Watch 13:30 onwards

Some ingenuity for you right there.

You're Welcome!
Edit: Forgot to put in the actual video LMAO @Baibars_1260

 

[Black.Mamba]

Right hand is the momin ki pehchan while left hand is for the kufar. ( I thought to write it before one of those delusional TLP type kids mention it )

The fixed costs needed to convert roads and signage to RHD would probably outweigh any benefits

Rightly so but if there is a will there is a way. No one can deny the long-term benefits of this shift, connectivity is the key, and OP beautifully mentioned it that except India everyone else has LHD. That being said GOP has to take 2 to 3 strategic decisions and stick to it;
1. Roll it out in phases - City wise
2. Give incentive in taxes to manufactures or maybe zero import duty for LHD kits (initially) as well as the consumer (lets say Zero Registration cost)
3. Cut off date for the entire shift - It can even be 2030 or 35

 

[Baibars_1260]

The fixed costs needed to convert roads and signage to RHD would probably outweigh any benefits

We could do a study by getting data from other countries who have made the switch. If Myanmar could do it with far less resources then Pakistan could do it too. In fact the only logic behind Myanmar's decision is a possible linkup with China. All Myanmar's neighboring countries drive on the left side of the road. However they are still importing expensive right hand drive cars which is intriguing.

There are a large number of ex-pat Pakistani drivers in Dubai and other Middle Eastern countries who are trained to drive on the right side of the road.

More benefits:
As inter-operability is crucial with our allies most importantly China having left hand drive vehicles and changing the traffic rules will help immensely in a crisis. Look at the scenario when a large convoy of PLA vehicles cross the Karakoram pass in support of Pakistani defenses engaged in holding the enemy. The vehicles could drive straight through instead of being guided to the left side of the road. Likewise attrition of trucks and transport for the Pakistan army could be quickly made up with transfers from China without modifications or training of Pakistani army drivers.
In a future apocalyptic World War scenario Pakistani transport vehicles could operate in Afghanistan, and Iran far more easily.
Ground Support Vehicles.
Vehicles and equipment needed for ground support civil and military aviation are mostly left hand drive and it is harder for a right hand drive familiar driver to mentally adjust to operating a left hand drive aviation tractor. Positioning equipment such as luggage conveyors , battery trucks, waste water tanks, fuel trucks carefully such that they don't bump into the planes requires extreme care, I don't have any data as such but one ground maintenance engineer was telling me that equipment mishandling results in a lot of minor damage to aircraft on the ground which delays flights and results in costly repairs.
Railways
We should also seriously consider moving away from the British legacy 1676 mm ( Broad Gauge) to 1435 mm ( Standard Gauge). The vast majority of railway work equipment, locomotives, wagons and passenger coaches made globally are in the standard 1435 mm gauge and in fact this is the gauge used in the U.K. that imposed a different gauge on the sub-continent.
India removed some rolling stock from East Pakistan in the 1971 war and used the railway tracks extensively to bring its military hardware and supplies. The advantage of a broad gauge network to Pakistan's enemy is obvious.
Pakistan is partially converted to standard gauge ( at least on the CPEC route) but it should go for full standard gauge conversion and scrap the Munabao ( Thar Express) and Attari ( Samjhauta Express) links. These are the only links in broad gauge that would be relevant but the fact is that they link to an enemy nation and are now anyway defunct.
China Railways has standard 1435 mm gauge and the advantages of linking Pakistan Railways with a common gauge ate obvious.
The biggest advantage of converting from to standard gauge is the relatively lower cost had the conversion been to the reverse ( standard to broad).
India converted all its meter ( 1000 mm ) tracks to broad gauge at a huge cost, because widening the track meant widening bridges, tunnels, underpasses, railway platforms. Since a standard gauge is narrower than a broad gauge the conversion is far easier.

Watch 13:30 onwards

Some ingenuity for you right there.

You're Welcome!

Did you link a video?
It didn't show up. Could you repost please,
Thanks!

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Right hand is the momin ki pehchan while left hand is for the kufar. ( I thought to write it before one of those delusional TLP type kids mention it )


Rightly so but if there is a will there is a way. No one can deny the long-term benefits of this shift, connectivity is the key, and OP beautifully mentioned it that except India everyone else has LHD. That being said GOP has to take 2 to 3 strategic decisions and stick to it;
1. Roll it out in phases - City wise
2. Give incentive in taxes to manufactures or maybe zero import duty for LHD kits (initially) as well as the consumer (lets say Zero Registration cost)
3. Cut off date for the entire shift - It can even be 2030 or 35

Align it together with impending electric revolution. It might make it easier for peolle to digest/transition.

We could do a study by getting data from other countries who have made the switch. If Myanmar could do it with far less resources then Pakistan could do it too. In fact the only logic behind Myanmar's decision is a possible linkup with China. All Myanmar's neighboring countries drive on the left side of the road. However they are still importing expensive right hand drive cars which is intriguing.

There are a large number of ex-pat Pakistani drivers in Dubai and other Middle Eastern countries who are trained to drive on the right side of the road.

More benefits:
As inter-operability is crucial with our allies most importantly China having left hand drive vehicles and changing the traffic rules will help immensely in a crisis. Look at the scenario when a large convoy of PLA vehicles cross the Karakoram pass in support of Pakistani defenses engaged in holding the enemy. The vehicles could drive straight through instead of being guided to the left side of the road. Likewise attrition of trucks and transport for the Pakistan army could be quickly made up with transfers from China without modifications or training of Pakistani army drivers.
In a future apocalyptic World War scenario Pakistani transport vehicles could operate in Afghanistan, and Iran far more easily.
Ground Support Vehicles.
Vehicles and equipment needed for ground support civil and military aviation are mostly left hand drive and it is harder for a right hand drive familiar driver to mentally adjust to operating a left hand drive aviation tractor. Positioning equipment such as luggage conveyors , battery trucks, waste water tanks, fuel trucks carefully such that they don't bump into the planes requires extreme care, I don't have any data as such but one ground maintenance engineer was telling me that equipment mishandling results in a lot of minor damage to aircraft on the ground which delays flights and results in costly repairs.
Railways
We should also seriously consider moving away from the British legacy 1676 mm ( Broad Gauge) to 1435 mm ( Standard Gauge). The vast majority of railway work equipment, locomotives, wagons and passenger coaches made globally are in the standard 1435 mm gauge and in fact this is the gauge used in the U.K. that imposed a different gauge on the sub-continent.
India removed some rolling stock from East Pakistan in the 1971 war and used the railway tracks extensively to bring its military hardware and supplies. The advantage of a broad gauge network to Pakistan's enemy is obvious.
Pakistan is partially converted to standard gauge ( at least on the CPEC route) but it should go for full standard gauge conversion and scrap the Munabao ( Thar Express) and Attari ( Samjhauta Express) links. These are the only links in broad gauge that would be relevant but the fact is that they link to an enemy nation and are now anyway defunct.
China Railways has standard 1435 mm gauge and the advantages of linking Pakistan Railways with a common gauge ate obvious.
The biggest advantage of converting from to standard gauge is the relatively lower cost had the conversion been to the reverse ( standard to broad).
India converted all its meter ( 1000 mm ) tracks to broad gauge at a huge cost, because widening the track meant widening bridges, tunnels, underpasses, railway platforms. Since a standard gauge is narrower than a broad gauge the conversion is far easier.

Did you link a video?
It didn't show up. Could you repost please,
Thanks!

Fixed it watch 13:32/30 onwards

 

[arjunk]

In Karachi we drive on every side of the road anyway.

 

[Baibars_1260]

In Karachi we drive on every side of the road anyway.

Perhaps. If we could drive down the Makran Coastal Highway on the right side it would be great!

 

[El Sidd]

In Karachi we drive on every side of the road anyway.

there are roads in Karachi? must be the 1100 trillion dinar federal package for Karachi

 

[arjunk]

there are roads in Karachi?

a few yes

 

[Baibars_1260]

A beautiful video explaining how Sweden switched:

 

[313ghazi]

Completely biased but F-that. I have enough trouble driving in Pakistan with the complete disregard the nation has for traffic rules - let alone trying to mix that up with driving on the wrong side of the road!

 

[Baibars_1260]

Completely biased but F-that. I have enough trouble driving in Pakistan with the complete disregard the nation has for traffic rules - let alone trying to mix that up with driving on the wrong side of the road!

Agree. Traffic rules enforcement is different topic. But look at it this way. Pakistan needs better traffic enforcement with the ability to follow and chase down traffic offenders who can then arrest or fine them. Traffic offenses happen because drivers know there is little chance of them being apprehended. To apprehend traffic violators a nationwide 10,000 strong fleet of police cruisers are needed. Two man traffic marshals in fast cars can easily catch traffic violators, But police cruisers are expensive and the right hand drive cruisers are even more expensive. By going to a left hand drive the volume production of such vehicles makes them much cheaper.

Additionally the "million dollar" questions:
Do we want to open our road network to an enemy nation that would just love to use our roads for a military and commercial foot print in Central Asia and beyond?
Do we want to make it difficult for our only ally to support us logistically?

Watch 13:30 onwards

Some ingenuity for you right there.

You're Welcome!
Edit: Forgot to put in the actual video LMAO @Baibars_1260

Beautiful!
One advantage with electric cars is that they can be converted very quickly.

 

[AWAITED1]

Frankly speaking, it's a passionate idea but as mentioned earlier, it's not cost effective. How many Pakistani drive to other countries?
So rather than applying new rule on masses it would be smart to improve driver licensing procedure. Especially those who drive heavy-duty vehicles. Incentives can be given to cargo industry like duty free left hand trailers and semis stationed near border on cheap secured parkings where containers can be moved to the other left hand vehicle with their own drivers.

 

[Baibars_1260]

Frankly speaking, it's a passionate idea but as mentioned earlier, it's not cost effective. How many Pakistani drive to other countries?
So rather than applying new rule on masses it would be smart to...

Excellent idea on having trailers switching to countries compatible cabs and China is already doing that with Hong Kong and Pakistan.
But it still a time consuming process.
Looking to the future with peace and stability , wouldn't it be nice for Pakistanis to be able to drive to Turkey via Iran or drive to Uzbekistan via Afghanistan?
Most importantly have free traffic of goods fromChina
Pakistan would have the advantages of low priced modern automobiles, and get millions off their two wheelers.
A map below shows how the world is predominantly left hand drive.